Robotech: On Wings of Steel
by Industrialis
Summary: COMPLETED! A story of hope and perserverence in the Malcontent Uprising. Chapter 20 updated with a little thank-you for awesome readers. This story is continued with "Robotech: The Ghost Eagles."
1. A Case of Nerves

ROBOTECH

_On Wings of Steel_

Written by Industrialis

Characters and elements of ROBOTECH Ó Harmony Gold, Inc.

Chapter 1

Lisa Hayes felt nervous standing in the commander's position. She wondered if she might ever get over her new, nagging fear of RDF command outposts. They all looked painfully alike. The navigation monitors, communication layout; everything was derived from the same blueprints. Every tower was interconnected, and based on the same Robotechnology that birthed the original command center.

The SDF-1, she thought. _I see itno matter where I go, I can't escape it._

She thought of her friends, each of their faces; she recalled the cry that each one uttered when the battered SDF-1 fell from the sky. She had only heard the cries for a moment, a split-second of her life. But she remembered that moment as if it had just occurred. It lasted forever in her mind, and the girls cried eternally. Lisa cried with them.

She remembered the captain. She did not see him; all she saw were fire, and flying shards of glass. But she felt his immediate grip, and heard him shout. A meaningless shout. She could not make out his words; his last words.

She felt the unwelcoming steel of the escape pod against her back, and the sharp stabbing of knobs and switches poking her in the ribs. She coughed and choked; smoke was quickly devouring the air around her. She heard the pod's door click shut, and squinted to watch out the window, as the pod rocketed away, and the SDF-1's command center exploded. She found enough air to scream. She could do nothing more.

"Commander Hayes, ma'am!"

Lisa snapped awake, gasping as the painful images blended back into her subconscious, for another time.

She glanced around the room, returning to her professional, emotionless demeanor. A young man behind the communications desk was requesting her attention.

"Um_ahem!_ Yes, Lieutenant, what is it?"

"Ma'am, we've received communication from Commander Hunter," replied the lieutenant. "Shall I put him onscreen?"

_Rick! _Lisa's heart skipped. For a moment, her burden was lifted, or at least forgotten.

"Yes," she said, controlling her excitement quite well. "By all means, proceed."

The main screen flickered to an image of Commander Rick Hunter. He was seated in a Veritech's cockpit, dressed in a heavy flight suit and helmet. A dark visor and a respirator mask covered his face.

He saluted sharply, keeping one hand on the controls. "This is Hawk Leader hailing Echo Base! Come in, Echo Base!"

Lisa gasped audibly. _He's touching the stratosphere! _she thought, glancing at one of her monitors. "We read you, Rick! What's your situation?"

Rick's image fuzzed and broke up, but returned immediately. "Come again?" called Rick. "I missed that, please repeat!"

"Rick, _are_ you in combat!" Lisa shouted. _"Do you need assistance!"_

The static worsened. "Sorry, Comman-that outgive me a"

His signal was lost, dissipated into monitor snow. Lisa spun about, and pointed quickly to the navigations officer. "Quickly!" she ordered. "Check his current position!"

"I have his coordinates, ma'am!" returned the young lady. "He's in Sector Zulu, generally speaking, and his Veritech is operating at an altitude of"

"Send those coordinates to Air Traffic Control, and scramble a recon! I want a full squadron of VF-1J's out there _now!"_

"Ma'am," offered the young man beside him, shyly. "Isn'twell, isn't that a little hasty?"

The monitor flashed back to life, this time with a clear picture. Rick saluted again. "Let's try that once more," he laughed. "Am I coming through all right?"

"Rick!" Lisa sighed, still flustered from the transpiring event. She took a second to gather her thoughts. "Commander Hunter, what is going _on_ up there?"

"Sorry, ma'am," he replied. "I was testing the VF-1X with a little high-altitude flying. Looks like there's a few bugs in the communications system."

Lisa's heart rate rose again. "Are you able to fly?"

Stifled laughter was heard all around her. Rick's tone of voice lightened. "Yes ma'am," he nodded. "I've had this before on my old VF-1A. It's not serious, I'll mess around with it when I get back."

A brash young man stepped next to the red-cheeked Lisa, and saluted at the monitor. "Sir!" he called wryly, "the Commander was just about to send a Jay squadron to go pick up your remains!"

The command center was filled with quiet giggles. Lisa shut her eyes tightly and screamed at herself inwardly.

To her surprise, Rick shouted back in a harsh growl. "Step down, Lieutenant! Back to your post!"

The young officer looked shocked, and he shrunk away to his instruments. The laughter died away instantly.

"I agree whole-heartedly with Commander Hayes!" he scolded them. "I am flying in a dangerous sector, in an experimental Veritech, and without weapons! The only reason I chose to fly alone was to keep my radar presence down. I have _my _neck on the line here! If the Commander senses danger, I will comply with her orders to the fullest extent, and with the respect she deserves as my commanding officer!"

He stopped to make a few adjustments, but returned his attention to the screen. "I suggest you all do the same. Am I understood?"

"Sir! Yes, sir!" The young officers called out.

Lisa made sure she couldn't be seen, and she smiled at Rick.

"So _anyway,_" Rick went on. "I'm entering an enemy radar zone. Keep your eyes on the instruments, everyone. I'll be home in no time."

"We've got your back, Commander," said Lisa with a proud grin. "Try and take the safe way home, would you?"

"Roger that! Hawk Leader, over and out."

As Rick's image dissipated, Lisa turned to her team of inexperienced officers. They were silent, filled with a newfound reverence.


	2. Lonely Skies

Chapter 2

The Veritech VF-1X screamed into the evening sky, blasting a pathway through stratospheric clouds. It was the RDF's newest Variable prototype, though at first glance it was difficult to tell what was so special about the fighter. Its body was similar to that of a standard VF-1. Like the others, it was able to transform between a swing-wing jet aircraft, a tall Battloid robot, and a hulking, inverse-legged tank known as Guardian mode. The VF-1X carried the same four head-mounted lasers that the junior officers' fighters, or "Jays," used as standard equipment. Externally, it seemed that the only discerning feature about the VF-1X was its dull black paint job and slightly longer tailfins.

But the big brass had instructed all test pilots that the VF-1X carried technology that could prove instrumental, if the SDF-3 ever made its slated voyage to the Zentraedi homeworld. Pilots were to guard the prototype with their lives, and to keep any knowledge of its existence completely classified.

Rick Hunter unstrapped his respirator, letting it hang at one side of his helmet. He kept a wary eye on his head-up display; there was reason enough in his mind to doubt the new VF-1X. A few moments after speaking with Lisa, Rick's communication system had completely failed. It was no real cause for alarm; every other system on the Veritech was functioning perfectly. But flying a relatively untested craft this close to nightfall, especially without communications, was enough to make Rick squirm in his cockpit.

The barren, rocky wasteland far below him was marked with long shadows. On the horizon at nine o'clock low, the auburn sun was beginning to set. Its dimming glow painted the skyline with shades of red that seemed to blend with the earthy colors of the ground.

_Everything looks different from here, _thought Rick. _Beautiful, exciting. It's not every day you have to look _down _at a sunset. Funny how everyday things can change with a look from a different perspective. I wish Lisa could see this._

Lisashe's probably worried sick about me. I should be radioing with a check-in by now. But that's not gonna happen any time soon...I wish I could tell her I'm all right.

He shook his head, and looked down at his cockpit's instrument panel. A snapshot of Lisa was taped at the corner. She was standing in Macross City's central park. A water fountain was spraying a conical pattern behind her.

He loved her smile in this picture. It wasn't often that she smiled; who could blame her during times like these. But when she and Rick were together, he always did his very best to ease the sadness and pressure surrounding her. He could feel it, in a way, and it was contagious if he wasn't careful. But Rick was quickly becoming an expert at getting smiles from Lisa.

She deserves to smile, he thought.

A patchy forest area appeared on the horizon. Rick watched the treeline grow in size as he approached, and thought back to pre-war Earth. Once, in the very spot he was flying, the plant life was so thick that it was difficult to find a safe landing spot for Guardians. Now, the land was flattened, burned out, and cratered with deep blast holes. But somehow, this patch of forest, perhaps a half-mile squared, was able to survive.

A bright flash caught his eye from between the trees. It was the bulky, rectangular shape of a TC-1 supply aircraft. These relatively small, quick-moving craft were introduced as the Malcontent Uprising began. They were invaluable for carrying weapons and equipment across the wastelands, at a pace that could nearly keep up with the Veritech fighters that provided their air support.

Rick scanned the surrounding area with his eyes, but there was no sign of any Veritech wreckage. And from what he could make out, the downed TC-1 was in very good shape for surviving a crash.

Unless, of course, it had landed on its own.

That's it! Rick thought. _Central Command reported that a TC-1 was stolen from Monument City a few days ago! This has gotta be the same plane! There's no other forest area like this for miles._

He contemplated the situation for a moment, and against his better judgement, descended to investigate the craft.

The VF-1X transformed into Guardian mode. The long twin thrusters that ran along the jet's fuselage swung downward, and altered their shape to form inversely bent legs. A pair of rectangular arms extended from under the Veritech and robotic hands slid open. The transformation gave the VF-1X the appearance of a walking tank. Rick brought it down vertically, landing beside the downed transporter.

From the cockpit, he spotted a young couple lying in a grassy clearing. They were barely visible, eclipsed by the shadow of the transport craft. But the Guardian's powerful thrusters had given them fair warning of Rick's approach. They quickly jumped to their feet, and raised their hands in immediate surrender.

Rick switched on the Guardian's loudspeaker. "Step into the light!" he called out, in a tone more annoyed than authoritative.

The couple obeyed quickly, and ran out of the dark shadow. A young man and woman, no older than mid twenties, were dressed in ragged civilian clothing. The young lady held her arms high in the air. Her companion also motioned for surrender, but wrapped one of his arms around her waist.

Rick rolled his eyes. _How'd they get their hands on a transporter like this? _he groaned. He checked the sidearm pistol strapped to his leg; it was loaded. The cockpit opened, and Rick climbed out.

"Please, sir! Don't hurt us! We're sorry!" The young lady cried.

"Stay where you are," said Rick calmly. He met eyes with the fearful man. "What are you doing here, and why are you standing next to a stolen TC-1?"

The young man was tall, broad-shouldered, and generally much bigger than Rick. He quickly hushed his girlfriend. Even in whispers, Rick could make out a powerful growl in his voice.

_I think I'll keep my distance, _Rick laughed to himself.

"We're sorry," said the man. "It was all my fault. I'm a cargo pilot by trade. Sarah and I lost everything to the War. We were discouraged, and, well"

The woman sighed, and interjected. "I wanted to see the trees again, sir."

Rick shook his head, and rubbed his eyes in frustration. More and more, the new-Earth people were showing disturbing signs. They were unable to cope with the dead wasteland that had become of their world. Evidence was present all around them of a race, their own race, on the verge of extinction. All the people longed for a sense of regularity in their lives. And a growing number of them were making desperate strives to achieve it, no matter what the cost.

Even if he disapproved, Rick could relate to them.

"You've committed a serious offense," said Rick. "I'm calling for backup, and we're taking you back to base for questioning."

The man nodded solemnly. "Do what you have to, sir."

Rick reached down to his belt, but found that his communicator was missing. _Must've fallen into the cockpit, _he thought.

He turned his back, but pointed a finger at the shaking couple who stood distant from him. "Stay where you are," he called over his shoulder.

But Rick was not halfway to his Guardian, when he heard fast-approaching footsteps. He slowly turned back in frustration. But he never made it all the way around; a powerful fist connected hard with the side of his skull.

Stumbling back, Rick focused his blurring vision, and saw the tall young man standing over him. His face was alive with rage, and he stood poised in a wide battle stance. From his belt, he was struggling to unsheathe a Zentraedi combat knife.

Rick vaulted forward, bashing his attacker in the stomach. The two fell against the ground and each struggled to pin the other down.

The Zentraedi won. He leaned back, and head-butted Rick, breaking the glass of his visor. Rick shouted and fell back, and the Zentraedi gripped his powerful hand around Rick's neck.

"You micronians are dumber than you _think!" _he sneered, squeezing Rick's windpipe with great zeal.

Rick twisted his body over, and the Zentraedi screamed in pain. Rick jumped up and grabbed the attacker's arm, forcing it behind his back, and pistol-whipped the Zentraedi in the back of the head. The blow had no effect.

The Zentraedi broke free of the hold, and gripped Rick's head tightly on the temple and at the base of his chin. Rick reacted instantly. He braced both arms against the side of his head, and strained with all his might as the Zentraedi tried to break his neck.

The clap of a high-powered gunshot made Rick freeze in panic. But he felt no pain; to his surprise, the Zentraedi loosened his hold. Rick tore free and rolled away, drawing his gun and pointing it as he turned to face his foe.

The Zentraedi was slumped forward, dead, and bleeding from the mouth.

Rick heard a terrible scream. He quickly turned his aim to the cargo plane. The female Zentraedi was on her knees, shaking and crying desperately. A Robotech assault rifle was on the ground before her.

Panic filled Rick's mind. _Whatwhat do I do?_

He left the dead soldier where he was, and slowly approached the female Zentraedi. His heart pounded wildly, but he kept as brave a face as he could muster in the midst of his terror.

"Don'tdon't move," he called. His voice cracked tensely.

The young alien wailed in agony, shaking and scratching at her hair.

"Wait, calm down," said Rick. "Just calm downeverything's gonna be all right. There's still a chance"

The Zentraedi let forth a piercing shriek. She crawled quickly on her hands and knees, reaching for the Robotech rifle. Rick's heart skipped. He ran toward her at full-sprint. _I'm not gonna make it! _he thought, and cocked his pistol as he ran.

She reached the weapon while Rick was still a few meters away. Rick raised his sidearm and prepared to fire. But the Zentraedi woman left the gun in her lap. She looked up, quivering and crying, and met Rick's eyes.

She cocked the rifle, and took her own life.


	3. There to Catch You

_a/n -- Hello all, I guess I'm back...had some troubles with my computer, but I hopefully solved that problem. Anyway, thanks to everyone for your kind reviews! And thank you for your patience; I promise to do my best to make this story worthwhile. As always, comments and criticism are always accepted. So, here's chapter three! Enjoy!_

Chapter 3

Rain poured in torrents on the airstrip's dark asphalt surface. Thunderous stormclouds had found their way into the skies, and had long since made themselves resident. The storm had been raging for nearly an hour; it had been longer since Lisa's last message from Rick.

She stood under the wing of a dormant VF-1A, her officer's uniform soaking wet. Her auburn hair was matted down. With hazy eyes, she watched the landing strip, as the last of the Fire Support Mecha were lumbering back into their hangars.

A deck officer, dressed in an orange RDF jumpsuit, ran in her direction. Lisa's heart skipped as the man stopped before her.

"Yes!" she cried. "What's the news?"

The officer looked rather uncomfortable behind his visored helmet. "Umm...I'm sorry, Commander," he replied. "I haven't got any. I'm here to pull this fighter into its bay."

Her eyes blinked, and dropped away. "Oh...oh, I see." Lisa sighed, and rubbed her face. "Can't the mecha stay on patrol?" she asked. "When Rick....uhm, when Commander Hunter arrives, there's no way he'll be able to land. He may have to ditch."

The officer hesitated, and cleared his throat. "No, Commander, we can't leave them in the storm. I'm surprised the search party hasn't made it back yet, in fact."

"They're coming _back?"_

"That was the order," he nodded. "I'll be pulling her in now, ma'am. Perhaps you should get inside before they lock down."

Lisa did not respond. She stepped away from the Veritech's wing, and into the downpour. The raindrops stung her eyes as she stared at the sky.

_Oh Rick, please be all right..._

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Hawk Leader, hailing Echo Base! Can anyone hear me?"

Rick stared pensively out his cockpit window. The rainstorm had made it near-impossible to see. But far in the distance, Rick was able to make out the base's runway lights.

"Mayday!" he called again. "This is the VF-1X! Can anyone hear this message?!"

After a moment of static, a grainy voice hailed him back. "Ten-four, Hawk Leader, this is Echo Tower. What is your situation?"

"What do you _think _my situation is?!" Rick shouted. "I'm trying to _land_ this hunk of junk in the _pouring rain!"_

The voice took its time in responding. "Hawk Leader, Tower advises to land by instruments."

"I haven't _got _any!" said Rick. "Every system but the com-link has shut down!"

Another long pause. "Roger that, Hawk Leader. Drop your altitude for a VTOL landing in Guardian Mode."

"No good," Rick said. "The VF-1X won't perform the transformation."

Yet another, longer pause. Rick watched the runway pass under him. He heard muffled whispering in his headset. A distant thunderbolt lit up the sky.

"Roger, Hawk Leader," said the voice. "Tower advises to raise your altitude, and ditch your Veritech."

Rick growled. "Are you _kidding _me?! I can't ditch the test craft!"

A feedback scream blasted Rick's ears. His cockpit sparked and fizzed, and the communications system died. 

Rick punched his helmet and sighed nervously. He felt a steady stream of blood continue to drip from the wounds on his face. A terrible headache pounded his skull and blurred his vision. _Not now! _he thought. _I'm so close! It's right below me... now, think!_

The deafening blast of thunder filled his cockpit. A powerful jolt shook the tail end of the Veritech, and Rick suddenly found himself spinning away. His status screen showed the damage: there was no power to his right engine. It had been struck by lightning.

The Veritech took a hard drop, and shook violently as the fuel reserves bursted inside the engine. Rick's head slammed into the status display, and he felt the sharp glass prick at his face. Dizzyness came upon him in a fury. He lost his grip on the flight stick.

Rick struggled to open his eyes. The picture of Lisa, taped to the cockpit, was before his face. It was scratched by the glass, and smeared with blood. But Lisa was still coy and cheerful, posing next to the park fountain with her beautiful smile.

Struggling with the pounding in his head, Rick pulled the picture off the cockpit, and grasped it in his hand.

The Veritech lurched up, and suddenly leveled itself out. The terrible G-forces were lessened, and Rick felt the craft's descent begin to slow. He looked out the cockpit, and saw two giant robotic arms raising themselves from under the Veritech's wings.

_It's...it's transforming! _he thought. 

The VF-1X completed its transformation into Guardian mode, and spread its wings out wide to serve as air brakes. The booster on its left leg fired, and rudders compensated for the lack of thrust on the right side. The Guardian approached the runway slowly, touched down, and came to a running stop halfway down the strip.

His heart racing, Rick scanned his surroundings. The runway was empty, and the emergency hangars were closed up.

The cold, wet asphalt met his bleeding face. He was too dizzy to stand on his own, so he lay on his side, trying to catch his breath. The rain pelted his flight suit, and puddled around his body.

Rick heard the splashing of footsteps coming his way. He strained hard, and saw a shadowed figure running to him from a nearby hangar.

"Hey!" he coughed. "Hey...over here!"

The figure ran under one of the hangar's floodlights. The blues and yellows of her officer's uniform shone brightly. She was thoroughly soaked. Her dripping hair was draped over her neck and shoulders. 

"...Li-Lisa? Is...is that you?" Rick's eyes lit up. "Lisa!"

She knelt quickly at his side, and lifted him up in her arms. "Oh, Rick! Oh my gosh, you're all right!"

"Am....am I?" he laughed, holding her close. "I'm...a little jet-lagged..."

She gently rested him against the Veritech's leg, hidden from the torrents of rain. "Yeah..." she sobbed, pressing her cheek against his. "You're just fine...just fine..."

Rick placed his hand on her head, and rocked her gently. "What're you doing out here, Lisa?"

"Oh, I couldn't help it...after hearing your message about the malfunctions, plus the _terrible _track record the Ecks has been showing... I did what I could, Rick! I sent out a rescue party, and set up a fire-support platform in case you had to ditch...but when my shift was over, they _took _it all _down! _And I...I...can't just _go home _when you're in _trouble..._maybe hurt...maybe... dying..."

Rick felt her shiver; he held her closer, and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Lisa...I'm here...I'm all right..."

"I...I love you, Rick..."

"I love you too, Lisa...I love you."

They held each other under the Veritech's wing, their true love's presence more pertinent than the cold and rain. The towering Guardian above them kept watch, fending off the elements. Its hands were clenched into mighty fists, and it seemed to stand coiled, ready to spring forth upon whaever foe might come the way of its masters.

From a faraway hanger, a dark figure watched them all.


	4. Nothing Doing

Chapter 4

Admiral Sever hated comparisons. "Would Gloval have approved?" the media would ask, withuot quetion, at every military conference. "How would you see Admiral Gloval handling the situation?"

But Sever was nothing like the man he replaced. A tall, lanky man with a pale complexion and a bald head, his presence did not command the authority that Admiral Gloval's had. But presence only accounts for so much, and Sever was a military genius in his own right. He had made a name for himself in the early battles of the Malcontent Uprising. His troops respected him, and knew him as a ruthless general with an appetite for complete victory. His Zentraedi foes feared his drastic and bloody results.

"And I'm not giving in to the personal whims of these officers!" he shouted in a nasal voice, sitting behind the desk in his office. "Gloval was too lenient with them. It's time for me to crack down."

A young lieutenant stood before the desk, holding a notepad. "I agree, sir, there's quite a lack of respect in the ranks lately."

Sever rubbed his eyes. "Of all people, I never expected this of Hayes. She hasn't been focused on her work in months. Hayes is a brilliant mind, but she needs to get her priorities straight." He handed the lieutenant a piece of paper. "Have this notice delivered to her immediately."

"But sir," said the lieutenant. "She's on sick leave..."

"Then take it to her home address, for all I care! Just make sure she gets it."

Sever leaned back in his chair. "It still bothers me that the _Ecks-Op _was the one who spotted them."

"Yes sir, it was a programming glitch. We've isolated and corrected it. The Ecks-Op is back offline."

"Even so," said Sever, "I want it carefully watched. If that thing got loose in its current form, who knows what catastrophe we'd have to explain away."

"I'll get security on it right away."

Sever nodded. "Oh...and by the way," he added. "I want to see Hunter's test debriefing."

Macross City was looking more liveable by the day. Buildings were in constant renovation. The streets were patched up, and once again being used by automobiles. Citizens took walks in the urban neighborhoods, chatting jovially about the day's events, and doing their best to ignore the screaming patrol Veritechs high above their heads.

Rick stood at the door to Lisa's small, single-floor apartment flat. A small porch light made him visible in the late evening. Rick was dressed in a formal-looking black suit jacket, and he cradled a bouquet of flowers in his arm. He took a deep breath, straighened his tie, and rang the doorbell.

There was no answer. Rick cocked his eye, waited a moment, and rang again. _Maybe she's in the kitchen, _he thought. _Sometimes she can't hear the door back there..._

But after another moment's wait, he still got no answer. _I wonder if she forgot, _thought Rick, scratching his head. He waited nervously, staring blankly at the door. But he finally shrugged, and gave it one last try. He rapped pleasantly a few times, and took a step back.

Finally, he heard Lisa's voice. "Ohh...hold on...I'm coming," she groaned, sounding tired and rather irate.

Yikes! thought Rick, swallowing hard. _I suddenly get the feeling I'm not wanted! This can't be good..._

The door slowly unlocked, and creaked open. "Wh-who's there?" Lisa called.

Rick summoned up a little extra courage. "Uhh...hey, Lisa! It's me!"

"...Rick? Is that you?"

Lisa opened the door, and stood in the dim light. She was barefoot, in her pajamas, and looking very tired. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. A blanket was draped over her shoulders, and she pulled it together with both hands.

"Oh... hello, Rick," she said bashfully.

"Hi there," he smiled, more than a little surprised. "I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"

"Nn-no! Not at all!" she shook her head, and the rest of her body shuddered along with it. "Would you like to... to come in?"

Rick blinked his eyes solemnly. "You caught a cold, didn't you?" he grimaced.

She nodded shakily. "I guess...just a little chill... Admiral Ss-sever gave me a few days to rest."

"Well, at least you won't have to deal with _him _for a while!" Rick smiled. "Can I keep you company? I'll make you something to eat."

~

High above the Echo airfield, the night sky was lighted by the twin-engine glow of a patroling Veritech. It was a standard VF-1A painted in dusty desert camoflauge, and it would have stuck out like a sore thumb during the day. But due to the lack of battle-ready Veritechs, the RDF had no choice but to fly imported fighters and make their best efforts to cover them up. Pilots sometimes rotated Veritechs, and considered it bad luck to fly a "cannon fodder" VF-1.

But nonetheless, First Lieutenant Michael Joons sat confidently at the controls. He was a bit short for a Veritech pilot, but was in top physical condition and had shown very promising skills since he had first enrolled. He was a cool pilot, very methodical in his approach, but he was not above pushing the Veritech to its limits in battle.

Joons' darkly tanned face showed through the tint of his visor. He blinked his tired eyes, and checked his monitor once more. "Echo Base," he called. "This is Hawk One. No sign of bandits; perimeter sweep has been completed."

"Hawk One, this is Echo Tower," said the replying voice. "Copy that, we're sending up the Buzzards. Your time with us has come to an end."

"Not a moment too soon," drolled Joons. "Bring us down, Tower."

Joons felt a rumble at two o'clock high, and watched as his wingman lowered from the sky above. The pilot waved from inside his cockpit, which held the lettering of "Lt. Martinez."

"Nice flying, man!" said the pilot. "Way to stay awake up here."

"Yeah, too bad they can't all be this easy," replied Joons. "The Commander picked an easy night to skip work."

"Just don't tell _him,_" Martinez said. "Which reminds me, what do we tell the ladies tonight?"

"I shot down five, myself," laughed Joons.

"Alrigh then, I got four. But I had no missles!"

"Hawk Squadron, this is Echo Tower," came the base's radio hail. "If you gentlemen would kindly clear the airways, we'd be glad to bring you down."

Rick hung his jacket on a chair in the kitchen. He found a cabinet containing some glasses, and grabbed a pair of coffee mugs. "Are you sure you only want a cup of coffee?" he called over his shoulder.

"Yes, please," replied Lisa, "I'm not really hungry..."

"Good," said Rick. "'Cause I just remembered I can't _cook!_"

Lisa giggled, as Rick poured some coffee for the two of them. "You know," she said, "you're dressed up awfully nice just to come and see..."

Rick noticed the silence, and raised his eyebrow. _Here it comes..._ he smiled.

"Oh, _no..._" Lisa breathed. "We...we were supposed to go out tonight! Oh Rick, I completely forgot!"

"Hey, it happens," Rick smiled as he stepped through the doorway. Lisa was balled up on the sofa, wrapped in blankets and propped up with a few pillows. She looked up sheepishly as he sat beside her.

"I'm so sorry," she groaned. "I really was looking forward to it, Rick! Oh my _gosh, _I can't believe I did that..."

"That's all right," he said, taking a sip of his coffee. "We're both tired anyway. We'd probably just sit there staring at each other all night."

"Yeah, I guess so..." Lisa laughed with him, but she looked up with earnest eyes. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Rick nodded with importance. "I'll hold you to that, you know!"

"Scout's honor!" she smiled.

~

Hours passed, but Rick and Lisa were content to stay on the sofa. They were illuminated by the glow of a small television, and huddled together, each with a fresh cup of coffee in hand. Rick's arm was wrapped around Lisa's shoulder, and he clicked leisurely away with the remote control.

"Hmm...you know," said Lisa, "I hope you don't catch anything...you know, with my chill and all."

"I guess," Rick nodded, looking down at her caringly. "I already had one, though..."

Lisa chuckled. "Rick, it's a cold, not the chicken pox!"

"Huh? _Oh! _Heh-heh...right..."

They sat quietly together, watching the television with little interest.

"This is probably the _worst _date you've ever had," Lisa laughed.

Rick raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I can think of a few bad ones...and actually, this one rates high! One of the best, in fact..."

He trailed off, and smiled warmly. Lisa reached up shyly, and kissed him.

"Thanks, Rick...I..."

Stage lights, flashing...the feeling's smashing!

The television broke into the lively presentation of Lynn Minmei's music video. Rick fumbled clumsily for the remote's "off" button.


	5. More Than We Bargained For

Chapter 5

The sun was beginning to rise on Macross City. Streetlamps sensed the gradually increasing light, and began to dim with the sunrise. Michael Joons stood at Commander Hayes' door, dressed in full military regalia. He carefully held a small envelope, addressed to Hayes from the Echo command post.

He yawned, and knocked on the door quietly. It opened a moment later, and to his surprise, Rick Hunter stood in the doorway. He was wearing his uniform, but it was badly creased. Hunter's hair was tassled about, and he was in need of a shave.

"Morning, Joons!" Hunter said quickly.

Joons didn't skip a beat. "Good morning, sir!" he laughed. "I seem to have caught you at a bad time!"

"Nah," Rick waved. "I was getting up anyway."

Joons realized Hunter wasn't catching on. He gave an exaggerated glance at Lisa's address number, and then at the paper he was holding. "I _would _be at Commander Hayes' residence," he grinned, "wouldn't I?"

Rick stared at him for a moment. "Well, yeah...what are you getting at, here?" He suddenly slapped his face. "Ah! Right, right. Okay, this _might _look bad..."

"None of _my _business!" said Joons, throwing his hands in the air.

"No, seriously," said Rick. "The commander isn't feeling well. I just kept her company last night, that's all."

"Oh, how incredibly benevolent! Keeping a beautiful young lady _company _all night..."

"Shut up, Joons," Rick waved.

Lisa stepped into the doorway, still wrapped in her blankets. "Who is it, Rick?" she yawned, and rubbed her eyes. "Oh! Hello, Joons!"

"Good morning, Commander!" Joons saluted informally. "I'll make this quick, but believe it or not, I needed to see both of you."

He handed Lisa the envelope. "Commander Sever's First Lieutenant had me give this to you," he said. "I'm not sure what it's about."

"With my luck," Lisa sighed tiredly, "I've been discharged."

"Cool!" said Rick. "Joons, can I have one of those?"

Joons shook his head. "I'm afraid not, sir. You've been called to the base immediately. We're flying this morning."

Rick nodded solemnly. "Okay, can I clean up and meet you at the base?"

"No," Joons hesitated. "It'd be best if you came now. The taxi's waiting."

"All right, then. Tell him to hang on and I'll be right out."

Lisa watched from the sofa as Rick stepped quickly through the bathroom door. His uniform was neater than before, but still wrinkled. 

"You still look a little messy," she said, standing up and fixing his collar. "If you don't mind my saying so."

"Yeah, I know," he replied. "But I'll be wearing a flight suit in a few minutes anyway." He smiled, and held her hand. "I'll come visit you tonight, then. Hope you feel better."

Lisa squeezed his hand, as Rick turned for the door. "I already do," she said.

Rick reached the front porch, and spun around to face her. "Love you!" he waved, and quickly ran down to the taxicab parked at the curb.

"I love you too," Lisa whispered. She watched the cab roll down the street. When it had vanished from sight, she wrapped the blankets around her, and sat back down on the sofa.

She crumpled a piece of paper under her. Reaching through the blankets, she found the envelope that Joons had presented to her. "Let's see what this is all about," she drolled, half-interested, and ripped it open.

_Commander Lisa Hayes_

_ This message is to inform you that Admiral J. Sever has requested your attention. Matters have arisen which require immediate ramifications. This request for attention is NOT a court martial, nor a court subpoena. Present this transcript at the Admiral's office as soon as possible. An appointment is not needed._

_ Thank you in advance for your cooperation,_

_ The office of Admiral J. Sever_

Rick and Joons walked briskly from the pre-flight room, dressed in their Veritech jumpsuits. Rick's suit was white, and striped with red on his chest and legs. Joons wore a green and gold suit that matched his cannon-fodder plane. Both pilots wore an RDF patch on one shoulder. They cradled their helmets between their hands as they navigated the busy hallway.

"Oh," said Joons, looking ahead. "By the way, sir, the entire base knows about the incident a few nights ago."

"_Great,_" winced Rick.

Pilots Hansen and Cabe were leaning against the wall up ahead, with their eyes on Rick. They were a pair of veteran bomber pilots who had been flying since before Rick was born. Both were tall and imposing, with a gruff and careless disposition. Hansen's head and eyebrows were shaved bald, and he proudly showed off a collection of deep scars that covered his head. Cabe had long, scruffy hair and a constant five o'clock shadow, for which he was repeatedly reprimanded.

Rick and Joons tried to pass them, but Cabe stood in their way. 

"Hey Hunter!" he laughed in Rick's face. "There's a rule about screwing another officer, you know!"

"Yeah, I know," said Rick coolly. "I guess you and Hansen should break it off before somebody finds out."

The crowded hallway stopped, and laughter began to spread. But Cabe and Hansen were not amused. They shoved Rick and Joons into the wall.

Hansen grabbed Joons by the collar of his jumpsuit. "You little punks think you're _funny, _don't you?"

Rick rolled his eyes. "What is this, _high school _or something?" He stepped up to Hansen. "Let my lieutenant go."

Cabe grabbed Rick by the collar as well. "Shut up, Hunter!" he growled. "You're gonna hear us out."

"As it turns out," said Hansen, "you're calling the shots on this mission. We want to make a few things clear before we get up there."

"First off, you will _not _give us orders," said Cabe. "We've got our orders, and we'll take care of them _without _your intervention. Second, you will provide _full _air support for our bombing runs. And third, you will _not _bring us on some heroic duty once the mission's over. We've got _no _obligation to get in a _dogfight _because you want to kill a few extra pods. Understood?"

Rick thinned his eyes. "I missed everything after 'I'm calling the shots.' Now _stand down, _officer, and let us do our job."

The old pilots looked around at the excited crowd, and threw Rick and Joons aside. As they stormed off to the briefing room, Hansen turned back to face Rick.

"I'm not getting blown away because _you _decided to get cocky! Remember that!"

Rick sighed, and straightened his flight suit. Joons patted him on the shoulder as they began walking again. "Don't listen to them," he said. "You've got a handle on it."

Lieutenant Martinez ran up from behind them, and matched their stride. He was tall and lanky, with black hair in a buzz cut. His flight suit was gold and green camoflauge, identical to Joons'. 

"Hey Joons, hello Commander!" he called. "What'd I miss?"

"Martinez, where have you been?" laughed Rick. "If you'd shown up a few seconds earlier, we could have schoolboyed those guys!"

Joons laughed along. Martinez shrugged, and they entered the briefing room.

"Listen up, soldiers!" said the briefing officer sternly. "I know you all weren't expecting this mission. To be honest, neither were we. It is _not _a routine patrol. In fact, this mission comes from _Admiral Sever himself, _so I want you all to pay attention and do him proud."

Rick, Joons, and Martinez sat at one end of the briefing room. Hansen and Cabe were seated at the other. The lights were dimmed, and a giant computer screen presented the mission details before them.

"What we've discovered," continued the officer, "is that our Malcontent friends are planning to _ambush _Echo Base. They have massed an assault force of thirty Battle Pods. It's not much of an army, but gentlemen, neither are we."

Hansen and Cabe whispered comments to each other. Rick, Joons, and Martinez sat silently, watching images of the Battle Pods come onscreen.

"The Pods are stationed in Quadrant Zero-Five-Niner, at a temporary Zentraedi base. But _here's_ the part that's gonna save your butts. These Pods are _automated, _totally run by computer and an estimated crew of _ten Zentraedi. _Intelligence reports that the _real _Pod pilots are on their way via stolen TC-1 transports. They won't arrive for another day."

Rick's eyes thinned. _The transports! _he thought. _That's what the Zentraedi wanted them for!_

The computer screen switched to an image of Veritech fighters. The briefing officer pointed at each one. "Buzzard squadron, you'll be flying your VF-2B's with two shock-bombs and four missle racks each. Your target will be _here._"

Hansen and Cabe watched the officer point to a small building represented on the screen.

"This," said the officer, "is the Battle Pod control center. It is _imperative _that you destroy this control center immediately. Once it's been blown, you won't have a dogfight on your hands."

"Sounds like we could fly it ourselves," said Cabe assertively.

The briefing officer frowned. "Don't be a fool," he said. "There's enough potential firepower in that desert to make clean work of a couple Buzzards."

"_Potential," _Hansen interjected. "Once we blow that control center, the Pods are sitting ducks."

"Even so," said the officer. "The Admiral insists that you carry this mission out successfully. He wishes Commander Hunter's Hawk squadron to personally guide you to the target. Once there, Hunter will give the order to deploy missles. And once the control center is down, the Hawks will be ready with air support while you Buzzards carry out Phase Two."

"Phase Two, sir?" asked Joons. "What's that?"

The briefing officer grinned. "You shock-bomb the _hell _outta those Malcontent bastards."

Lisa stepped out of the ladies' room, after a long but unsuccessful bout with the mirror. _I feel terrible, _she thought. _I look terrible. I want to go home. I don't know what's going on, but I'm sure I don't need it right now._

She straightened her uniform, and entered the lobby to Admiral Sever's office. It was decorated lavishly, with wood-grain mouldings, rich carpeting, and a variety of paintings on the walls. A portrait of Sever hung next to his office door, above a glass cabinet which housed his medals and awards.

Lisa stepped up to the secretary's counter, and presented the notice. "One moment, Commander," said the young lady, in a rather distasteful manner. "I'll inform the Admiral you're here."

It was not long before the Admiral summoned for her on the intercom. Lisa gathered herself one more time, for impression's sake, if nothing else. She opened the door, and slipped quietly into the office.

Sever was a proud man, indeed. The office was massive in size, and more extravagent than the lobby, with walls engraved in a cold platinum shine. Trophy cases adorned the room, filled with more decorations of war. Sever's desk was huge, and across its face hung a Zentraedi blaster crossed with a Robotech assault rifle. Behind the desk, a balcony overlooked Macross city from the twenty-fifth floor. The gargantuan SDF-1 stared directly through Sever's balcony window, from its spot miles away.

Admiral Sever was seated behind the desk. "Come in, Miss Hayes," he said coldly. His thin, nasal voice was less than intimidating.

Lisa approached the desk. The Admiral did not offer her to take a seat. In fact, after glancing around the room, she realized that Sever's leather chair was the only seat present in the office. Lisa saluted sharply and stood at attention.

"Sir, you wished to see me, sir!" she reported.

"That I did, Miss Hayes," replied Sever. Lisa waited for him to call "at-ease," but he did not. She continued to stand at full attention.

The Admiral rested his skinny arm on the desk. "Miss Hayes, the RDF has laws regarding fraternization with a fellow officer."

Her heart jumped to her throat. "Yes, sir."

"And I, as well as most of Echo Base, am fully aware that you're in some sort of relationship with Commander Rick Hunter. Am I correct?"

Lisa hesitatd. "I...well, I suppose so, sir. Yes, we are."

Sever peered up at her with stern eyes. "I am not concerned with the details of said relationship," he said. "But I _do _become concerned when your performance is drastically affected. Your position is one of great importance, Miss Hayes. Many lives depend on your role as a bridge commander, including those of our pilots. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir, I do."

"And do you also understand that you are an _example _to the junior officers in your command?"

"Yes sir."

The Admiral leaned back in his chair, and folded his arms. "You're too young, Hayes. It takes a man _decades _to become an effective commander. He must train through the best years of his life to reach such a position."

He clenched his fist. "And here _you _are...a _woman_...and still a _child_, nothing but a _girl_. You've not proven yourself as an effective leader, Miss Hayes. You've got a lot to learn about the military."

Lisa blinked in astonishment. "...Sir?"

"I'm reassigning you to the Parts and Salvage division of Echo Base. If you show some promise, we'll see about getting you a bridge position in a few years."

She gasped, and brought her hand to her mouth. "But...but sir! I don't..."

Sever growled, and stood over her. "You will address me with the respect a commanding officer deserves!"

"Sir...y-yes sir." Lisa choked, and returned to attention.

"Now," Sever continued. "Let's talk about the little scene you made with Commander Hunter a few days ago. Shall we?"

"But...sir!" she attempted, her head still spinning. "I...I wasn't fraternizing, sir! Rick...I mean, the Commander...he was wounded! In danger! I was the first to arrive!"

He stepped away from his desk, and approached her, trying to muster more authority than his small frame would allow. "You _know_ what you did was a mistake, Miss Hayes. You _deliberately _disobeyed orders, and displayed personal affection for the poor sap _right _on the _landing strip_. Therefore, I've seen fit to punish you in a like manner."

"But...if I may, sir!..."

"Don't argue with me, Miss Hayes!" yelled Sever. "We haven't got the time. You know why? Because the Commander is flying Strike Mission 0047 at this very moment, and unbeknownst to our hero, he's terribly outmatched. He's flying right into a trap. And it's all your fault."

Lisa panicked. "Sir! You...you _can't!"_

"Oh, I certainly can, and _only I_. You see, I ordered this mission personally. And only I can call Hunter's squadron back, and out of a Zentraedi ambush. Don't believe me? You're welcome to call your _former _control tower."

"Do it!" she cried, lunging in his face. "Call them back! You can't let them _die!"_

Sever did not stand down. He grew closer, and smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Time is short, Miss Hayes. See where disobeying orders can get you? Now, I can call them back in a _second_, if I wish. But I think I'll need a little persuasion. A little _fraternization, _if you prefer."

Lisa's eyes widened, and she gasped in terror.

"What are you going to do," Sever grinned, and squeezed her close. "Slap me?"

She pulled back her arm, and punched him square in the face.

The admiral toppled over his own desk, landing in his chair and spinning into the balcony windows. The glass cracked behind him, as he shook away dizziness.

"You filthy, hypocritical _rat!_" screamed Lisa, panting angrily.

Sever nursed a bloody face. "I'll have you court-martialed!" he shouted.

"I'll have you _hanged for murder!_" Lisa yelled.

"Ah, but _will _you?" he sneered, trying to get his footing. "I highly doubt it. Because, as it turns out, you suffer from schizophrenia, and I'm the valiant hero who survived your _violent attack! _All I have to do is say the word, and it becomes law!"

He approached her again, and wiped his bloody mouth. "So, I suggest you cooperate, or I may have to..."

Lisa kicked him powerfully in the stomach. Sever fell back again, and crashed through the glass. He rolled onto the balcony wailing in pain.

Lisa panted and cried as she sprinted out of his office, and through the lobby. She ran down Echo Base's empty hallways at random, until she was exhausted, and sure no one was following her. She stopped and leaned against the steel wall.

With her hands pressed firmly against her face, she slid down to the grated metal floor. _Oh...oh god...what am I going to do?_


	6. Burden of Trust

_a/n: Hi, and thanks a lot for reading my story! I'm extremely grateful for your kind reviews; they really do keep me motivated to share my little RT vision. _

_That last chapter was a rough one, eh? It was a difficult one to write, that's for sure. I'm glad it was generally well received (unless most of you are keeping quiet =D), because it took me a while to revise, and even then I wasn't sure if I should post it. But one of the things I always enjoyed about Robotech was its artful portrayal of drama. It never displayed violence for the sake of shock. There was always an underlying theme in keeping with the characters' actions. I've tried to tap into that vein here. In my opinion, the Malcontent Uprising was by far the most difficult section of the Macross Saga to watch. The emotional rollercoaster of a broken people rebuilding their devastating lives is a touchy thing to account. I'll work my hardest to do the original series justice, and make this a worthwhile reading._

_And by the way, tela's comment on "Lisa's moves" was great! I'd have to agree that Minmei wouldn't be Lisa's favorite person, especially at this point in her life! And come on, folks, she'd totally kick Minmei's butt. We're talking military training here! What's Minmei got on that...like, a microphone, or something? =) I'll also make the rather blunt hint that certain people just might be appearing in this fanfiction sometime soon..._

_That's about it I guess; on to more serious things. But remember, any comments are always taken seriously. Well...except for "let's have *insert RT babe* get naked!" And the "make a big rock fall on Minmei!" requests, too. On second thought, I might consider that..._

Chapter 6

The dry desert air cracked from a powerful sonic boom. A squadron of Veritech fighter planes dropped from the clouds, and moved into a delta formation. Three VF-1A strike fighters took the lead, screaming ahead with their wings swept back. They bore the Hawk Wing logo, a golden raptor's beak, on their tail fins. All three Veritechs were painted in cannon-fodder camoflauge.

A pair of VF-2B's brought up the rear. They were wide, fat, and sluggish bombers which bore no resemblance to their graceful older cousins. Their engines were rounder and larger, and their wings were fixed in a straight-out position. The cockpits were bubble-shaped, and crammed with targeting instruments. Rounded nosecones housed miniature chainguns, less effective than the VF-1's gunpod weapon.

But the Buzzards, as they were nicknamed, were not reliant on their cannons. The Buzzards were pure-bred bombers. Their wings and fuselage could be loaded down with many thousand-pound bombs, plus a wide assortment of missles and rockets. With the right armament, a single Buzzard could decimate an entire city. Its design did not allow for Battloid mode, though it could change to Guardian if its payload had been released.

Rick looked back in his cockpit, and saw the bombers moving into position. "Buzzards, this is Hawk Leader," he called. "Target ETA is five minutes and counting. Prepare for your attack run."

Cabe answered with mock professionalism. "Acnowledged, Hawk Leader. Arming weapons."

"Watch carefully," Hansen drolled. "We're about to bore you to death."

"Be my guest," replied Rick, with a quick wave behind him. He switched his radar to Active mode, and picked up a large clump of hostile blips dead ahead. "Okay, Hawk Wing," he said. "Stay focused up here. Joons, you and I will cover Cabe for his attack on the control center. Martinez, you stick with Hansen."

"To hell with that!" shouted Cabe. "Just keep your eyes open. We don't need a frickin' escort."

Rick rolled his eyes. "Scratch that, Hawk Wing. The Buzzards would rather get blown away. We'll sweep the perimeter."

He got a thumbs-up from Joons' cockpit, then one from Martinez. Rick took a breath, and focused on his head-up display. "Here goes nothing, gentlemen. Good luck."

_He's flying right into a trap... and it's all your fault..._

"No...Rick..."

_A little fraternization, if you prefer..._

"No!"

_What are you going to do?_

Lisa felt a sickening cold sweep over her. She struggled to catch her breath; each gasp stabbed at her lungs. The grated steel floor dug into her numbing fingers. Visions, painful voices, flashed across her mind. The tormenting face of Admiral Sever bearing down on her, cursing, and threatening; a suffocating stare.

The face was shattered away, and replaced in a flash with Rick Hunter's smile He reached out for her; spoke in words she had already heard him say.

_Lisa... I love you._

"Rick! Oh God, I'm... I'm lost, I can't..."

_I'll come visit you..._

Rick looked down with caring eyes. Lisa's breathing slowed, and she raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Rick...I need help..."

_I'm here... it's all right..._

But Rick shook his head, and quickly turned away. He closed his eyes tightly and cried out. A deep gash appeared on his forehead. He blinked in pain, and blood poured from his eyes. His image was torn in half, and the figure of Lynn Minmei appeared in his place.

_This is my chance to be a star!_

Lisa screamed, and cried against the wall.

"Get up."

The voice frightened her; she had not imagined it. Her eyes glanced quickly up, and saw a pair of black combat boots.

"Stand up, immediately."

She crawled against the wall, inching away, to see the intruder. He was an RDF pilot with a pale face. He wore a heat resistant suit that covered his neck and skull, and a black pilot's flight outfit. An assault rifle was clenched in his hands.

"You...you saw!" cried Lisa. "You saw it happen! I'm sorry! Please let me explain...please, I beg you!"

The soldier's expression did not change. "Can you stand?" he asked.

"It...it wasn't supposed to happen! I just...what I _mean to say is that...the Admiral..."_

He reached down, and quickly pulled her up by the arm, leaning her against the wall. "What is your name and rank?" he asked, stepping away. His ice-blue eyes spoke determination.

Lisa hesitated. She dropped her eyes, downcast. "Lisa Hayes...bridge commander..."

To her shock, the soldier gave her a sharp salute. "How may I be of service, Commander!" he called.

She looked at him carefully, and blinked away a tear. "You...you want to _help?"_

"Yes ma'am! You seem to be injured!"

"No...no, I'm all right. I'll be fine... bad dreams, that's all." She brushed the hair from her face. "What's... your name and rank?"

"My name is Eo," replied the soldier, in an strict voice. "Awaiting rank."

Lisa took a very deep breath. "Eo, I do need your help. And I need you to trust me. Are you willing to?"

"Yes ma'am, Commander!"

She began to compose herself. "Oh, thank God! I'm afraid I can't explain this all...there isn't much time. But we're in the middle of a base emergency. There are pilots in grave danger. And...well, this sounds strange, but...the base doesn't want us... to know about it." She winced, and prepared for the worst.

But Eo remained stern and calm. "Please continue," he said, after a moment of silent wait.

Lisa took another, more confident breath. "Okay...I think I have a plan...and again, you must know that you can trust me. Do you understand?"

"Please continue," Eo repeated. "You stated that time is short."

"Right! Yes, it is. Eo, I need to find a communication center _immediately._ Please, can you take me to one?"

"Of course," said the soldier. "Follow me."

Lisa caught him by the shoulder. "Oh! Wait!" she said, and quickly lowered her voice. "There's... something else, as well." She swallowed hard. "Oh boy, you're _not_ going to like this one..."

"Continue!" said Eo firmly.

Lisa was taken aback. "Oh! Well...the problem is that...the base has made an error. They don't believe me... in fact, they don't want me interfering with them." She bit her lip. "I... may need protection..."

Eo nodded, and cocked his assault rifle. "No one will interfere. Hurry, Commander, the nearest comm center is this way."

"Entering the hot-zone... now! Stay sharp people, we just made radar presence."

"Positive on target visual, bearing zero-three-five. Acquiring missle lock..."

"Scanning perimeter, no bandits in sight. Buzzard One, your path is clear. Repeat, your path is clear."

"Roger that, Hawk Three. Now be a good Valk, and stay outta my way."

Rick stared ahead as his squadron approached the target. He could see it over a far sand dune. It was chilling to behold. The army of Battle Pods were lined up in rows, motionless, and blown with sand. Next to the mass of battle craft was a flimsy metal bunker, Cabe's target.

"What are you waiting for?" said Cabe impatiently. "Gimme the order, Hunter. Let's get this over with."

"Not yet," replied Rick. His voice was garbled by his helmet radio, and mixed with the auto-respirator's airy hiss. "I'm getting closer first. Everybody stay on course, I'm going to make a pass."

"We've got your back, sir," said Joons.

The Buzzard pilots grumbled, but complied. They joined Joons and Martinez in holding back. Rick punched his throttle and blasted forward at the target. He armed his gunpod and set his missles to auto-lock.

The Battle Pods were beaten terribly. Some were missing cannons, and others had exposed wires and circuits. All of them had massive dents and plenty of rust. But even so, they were a terror for Rick to see in such a number. _Echo Base would have been done for!_ he thought. _Good thing we caught this in time..._

As the pods whizzed by under him, he caught a bright flash in the sand dunes ahead.

Hansen's voice shook his attention. "Hawk Leader, this is Buzzard One. We'll be wrapping this up now, if you don't mind."

"What a great man," laughed Martinez.

The bombers broke away and throttled up, diving powerfully toward the target. Rick's wingmen climbed high and raced to catch up with him.

"Hey Cabe," said Hansen. "Hit it on the first pass, and I buy the beer."

Rick dropped his altitude and switched on his afterburners. "Hawk Wing!" he called. "There's something in this sand dune, bearing zero-two-eight. I'm gonna clear it off. Tell me what you see."

"Roger that, Rick," said Joons. "Dust that baby off."

Rick flew dangerously close to the desert surface, blowing sand in torrents as his jet engines rumbled at afterburner power. He watched the sand dune close in with lightning speed. At the last moment, he pulled back on the stick and launched into the sky. The engines blasted the dune away.

"Whew!" Rick chuckled. "Okay, what've we got down there?"

"Sir, it's a TC-1!"

Rick's heart stopped cold.

"And... here comes the money shot!"

Cabe's VF-2 launched a missle from its wing. The bombers rolled away as the missle screamed down, ripping a fireball through the metal bunker. 

Cabe turned his head as his bomber leveled out. "Confirmed kill! That's ten dead Zentraedi, folks."

Hansen adjusted his instruments, and looked back. "Wait...wait, that's not right. There's no debris...it's like the building was..._empty!_"

"Sir, do you copy?" called Joons. "We've got positive visual on _five TC-1 transports!_"

Martinez cut him off. "Sir! Movement detected on the ground!"

Rick felt his hands growing numb around the flight stick. "Pull out! Repeat, pull out! It's a trap!"

Lisa watched as Eo carefully scanned the hallway. He slid into the open, with his assault rifle trained against his shoulder. With a quick wave, he motioned for her to catch up.

She stepped quietly down the hall, reading the information plate on each door. _Where is he taking me?_ she thought. _I've never been to this part of the base..._

Eo suddenly stopped, and pointed to an unmarked steel blast door. It was sealed with shining bars and key-coded. "We are here," whispered Eo. "What is your key code?"

"Three-six-one-nine," Lisa recalled. "I'll get it."

"No!" Eo hissed, and grabbed her hand. "Step back. Do not speak. Close the door as soon as I am inside."

Lisa nodded, and Eo released her arm. He raised the rifle, and punched the code into the computer with his free hand. The bars slid away, and the door opened with a mechanical hum.

Eo stepped quickly into the room. The door shut behind him. The communication center's walls were lined with monitors, displaying RDF star cruisers on detailed computerized maps. Communication posts were raised from the floor on platforms. Each one held a keyboard, a monitor, and a microphone headset.

Two armored soldiers leaned against empty posts. Only one communications officer was on duty, at the nearest post.

Eo stepped slowly into the room, and slung the assault rifle across his back. The troopers quickly stood and drew pistols. "Can we help you, private?" one of them called sharply. The comm officer continuted typing, oblivous.

"Lower your weapons immediately," Eo said sternly. "This is a matter of base security. I require the use of your communications terminals."

"Uh-huh, _right._ Now, I'm hoping what you _meant_ was, 'oops, I made a wrong turn.'"

Eo slowly looked around the room. "You have been warned."

He stretched his hand to an empty comm terminal. A long, black wire snapped from his wrist, and whipped into the keyboard. An electric current zapped the post, and a powerful arc jumped to the one next to the soldiers. The post exploded, and launched them into the wall.

One of the soldiers struck his head and fell unconscious. The other one rolled into the open, pulling a rifle from the sling on his back. Eo dove behind the nearest terminal, knocking the comm officer away. Gunshots clapped, and bullets ripped through the metal walls around Eo.

He leapt over the post, and moved his arm toward the soldier. The electrical wire detached from the computer. It whipped around the soldier's neck and pulled taut. Eo tugged hard, and dragged the soldier into a comm post, knocking him out.

"Your cooperation is mandatory," he said, as the wire retracted into his arm.

A powerful blast thundered into Eo's chest. He slipped backward and into one of the screens on the wall. His pilot's gloves scraped against the monitor and skimmed off, and he crumpled to the floor.

The shaky comm officer stood before him, aiming a pistol with both hands. Eo looked down at his flight suit. A bullet hole was ripped through the chest.

He looked at the officer, and threw back his hand. It shattered the screen. Eo gripped the broken glass, and stood.

"S-stay back!" the officer cried. "I'll kill you!"

Eo jerked his arm out of the screen. Shards of glass fell, and crushed under his boots as he stepped toward the officer.

Another shot fired, then another. Both missed Eo and blasted giant holes in the screens behind him. Eo grabbed the officer's hand and twisted it back. He pulled down on the pistol and the slide released, dropping the barrel and magazine onto the ground. Eo leaned back and side-kicked the officer in the face.

He checked the man for a pulse, and found him unconscious but breathing. Eo stood, and headed for the door. He placed his hand on the keypad, but noticed his reflection in the door' shining surface. The gunshot wound was bloodless, but the hole in his flight suit was gaping in size.

Eo blinked, and stared at the wound. He unzipped a pocket on his leg and retrieved a roll of black tape. Quickly, he covered the tear in his suit, and pressed the code for the door.

Lisa waited impatiently outside. "What happened?" she whispered. "I can't hear a thing out here!"

"Good," said Eo. "The nearest tower is online. Two towers have been damaged, and the rest are shut down."

She ran into the room as the door closed. "There's ony one tower? What if it can't connect me to...nevermind! I'll make it work!"

"Work quickly. If we are discovered, the entire room will be shut down."

Lisa nodded solemnly. She tapped at the keyboard frantically with one hand, and slipped on the headset with the other. Her monitor came to life. "Selecting comm quadrant..." she mumbled to herself. "Searching for available connections...oh, _come on!_ Please, let somebody be out there!"

Eo looked up at one of the screens on the wall. "There is one RDF star cruiser on patrol," he said. "Its coordinates are fifty-nine, two-thousand-twenty-one, seven-million-six-hundred-thousand-"

"Wait! I have him!" shouted Lisa. "He's calling _me!" _

She opened the channel, and listened as an officer spoke into her earphone. "No...no, wait! Please hold on! This is Commander Lisa Hayes, of Echo Base! ...No, that's not important! We have a _crisis_ on our hands!"

"I am putting the connected party on screen," said Eo, flipping a few switches at the wall. The image of a skinny officer with wide rimmed glasses appeared on the giant monitor. 

"Commander Hayes, this is the _G.S.S. Ultimatum._ What is your crisis?"

"Oh, thank God! Officer, I need speak with the ship's admiral, _immediately!"_

Swarms of Zentraedi Battle Pods filled the desert sky. They bounded from the ground in scores, firing missles and canons in a blistering upward hail. Rick weaved his VF-1 between the hoardes of attackers with Joons and Martinez close behind. He released a barrage of swarm-rockets to pave the way.

"Incoming missles, three o'clock low!"

"Roger! Bank right, and release chaff!"

"Dammit, they're everywhere!"

"Hold your speed! Don't let them separate us!"

Rick struggled to make sense of the screams in his helmet radio. Flashes of light bursted all around, as wild missle shots collided. Lasers cut through the smoke-filled air. More pods went airborne by the second.

"Hawk Wing!" shouted Rick. "Set swarmers to auto-lock and fire on my mark!"

"Sir!" said Martinez. "We don't have room! You're in my..."

"Shut up and do it!"

"Y-yessir!"

"And... now!"

Joons and Martinez fired their weapons. The rockets whistled as they whipped through the air, leaving thin trails of smoke in their wake. Rick pulled back on the stick and barrel-rolled over their path. They seared a fiery wave through the wall of Battle Pods.

"Gun it!" yelled Rick. "Now! Now!"

Afterburners blazing, the VF-1's barely made it through the malestrom of pods. Rick brought his craft vertical. The wingmen followed him in the climb.

"Okay...alright..." panted Rick. The auto-breather hissed harder. "Where's the Buzzards? Do you copy, Buzzard One!"

Cabe's voice crackled to life. "Hunter, where the hell are you?!"

"Sir, he's eight o'clock low!" called Joons, turning in his cockpit. "I have visual!"

"I have nothing!" said Rick. "Take us in, Joons! We'll cut a pathway for them!"

The VF-1's leveled out, and dove sharply, with Joons in the lead. Cabe and Hansen were far below, rolling in formation as a host of Battle Pods closed in from above and below.

Cabe looked all around his canopy as his VF-2 rumbled at full speed. "Hansen! We gotta bomb the ones on the ground!"

"Are you crazy?!" Rick growled, fighting the G-forces of his steep dive. "We're not fighting this battle!"

"No choice!" said Cabe, as his bulky fighter tried to shake off his pursuers. "We can't outrun 'em! Hansen, get some of these off me!"

"Roger that!" said Hansen. His VF-2 made a vertical climb, and a few Battle Pods broke off to chase him.

Rick blinked away the sweat that rolled across his face. He fired his gunpod and took out two more of Cabe's pursuers. "Stay away from the ground!" he screamed. "Cabe, that's an order!"

"No way!" Cabe replied. "I gotta even this out--"

Joons interrupted. "Martinez! Check six!"

A pod had snuck up behind Martinez' fighter. Both wingmen broke off to combat the enemy. "I can't shake him!" said Martinez. "He's got a lock!"

"Hang on, man...I'll get him..." Joons trained his guns on the pod.

Rick accelerated to full throttle and left the dogfight. Two pods were trailing Cabe, and more were closing in by the second. "Cabe! Get out, now!" called Rick, trying to get a clean shot at one of the pods.

Cabe banked away, and throttled up in order to climb. A flame belched from his engines, and he trailed a cloud of black smoke. The VF-2 shuddered and began to nosedive.

"Overheat!" he screamed. "I'm losing her! I can't..."

A Zentraedi missle struck his cockpit. The craft's frame split into pieces and shredded away, releasing a molten fireball.

Rick's eyes burned from the blast. _"Cabe!" _

He shook with fury, gripping the flight stick with both cold hands. His VF-1 slid behind the pods and unleashed a fury of cannon fire. Both pods were decimated.

Joons watched his head-up display nervously. Martinez and the Battle Pod were dead ahead. "Come on," he breathed. "Get in there..."

"Hurry, man!" said Martinez. "He's got another lock!"

Joons' display turned red; he acquired a missle lock on the pod. He punched the trigger and released a cruise missle. It hit on the pod's leg, and blew the enemy craft apart.

"Yeah! How's that for a..."

Through the smoke, another pod cruised toward Joons on a head-on path. Joons slammed the flight stick to the left and banked his fighter, but it was too late. The pod clipped off his right wing.

"I'm hit!" he cried.

Martinez swung around, and rocketed three pods as they took off. "Joons! Switch modes!"

Joons struggled with his controls as the VF-1 spun downward. He flipped the Battloid switch and set his leg thrusters to full. "Geez, here comes a hard landing..."

Rick flew through a pack of Battle Pods upside-down. He glanced at the ground; less than half of them had taken off. His head swam with the mixed radio chatter, and he juggled comments to each troubled pilot. _This is bad...concentrate, Hunter..._

"We're gonna get slaughtered out here!" shouted Hansen. "Cabe, where are you? Where's that shock-bomb?"

His bomber dropped from the clouds and took out a group of pods. More approached, and latched onto his six. "Cabe, where _are_ you?"

Rick climbed to meet Hansen. "Joons!" he called. As he did, he caught a glimpse of Joons' fighter. It was changing forms, morphing into a robotic Battloid soldier. Its leg engines were running full-throttle, slowing his fall.

"Cabe!" shouted Hansen.

Rick growled; his head pounded. "Hansen... Cabe's dead!"

"God!"

Hansen's fighter lost engine power. It spun downward, and through a cloud of Battle Pods. A laser blast hit his tail and ripped it off. The VF-2 caught fire and its engines disengaged.

"I'm going down!"

Rick's hand slipped off the controls, but he quickly caught them again. "Bail out, Hansen! Bail out!"

The VF-2's nosecone broke away and flew clear of the flaming wreck. Hansen's seat blasted from the cockpit and released a parachute.

"Joons!" said Rick. "Are you all right? Can you pick him up?"

Joons' Battloid lay half-buried in a sand dune. "Negative!" he said. "Both legs are damaged. I'm losing power..."

Martinez caught up with Rick's fighter. "Sir, we've gotta get down there!" he said.

Rick swallowed hard, and dove steeply. "Follow me down!"

They dropped altitude and skimmed over the sand. Both craft switched forms to Guardian mode. They stopped beside Joons' mangled Battloid, and scanned the sky for Hansen's parachute.

"He must have touched down!" said Martinez. "We have to find him!"

Rick was silent. He turned his eyes to the horizon, where an army of Battle Pods marched forward in a wide procession. He retrieved his gunpod, and the Guardian rested its finger on the trigger.

Joons' voice was garbled and barely audible. "Guys... go! ...Still time..."

Martinez looked to the sky, where scores of pods were patroling. He stood his ground, and cocked his gunpod.

Rick looked down at his instrument panel. His ripped, blood-stained picture of Lisa was taped to the edge. The fountain behind her still sparkled, and she still gave him that special smile.

He switched off his radio, and lay back against the seat with his eyes to the sky.

"I'm sorry..." he cried. "Lisa... I'm sorry... for everything..."

His eyes caught a glimmer falling from the clouds. He looked away, and pulled off his helmet, rubbing his face with his shaking hands. But Martinez caught his attention once again. He was waving madly, pounding on his cockpit window.

Rick turned his radio back on, and instantly heard a message. "Special delivery from the _G.S.S. Ultimatum_, boys! Who ordered the extra crispy?"

Missles rained from the sky, blasting the airborne pods to bits. Super Veritech fighters, outfitted with space-travel boosters, dove into action. Squadron after squadron poured down and laid waste to the Zentraedi armada. Shock-bombs fell on the advancing ground troops and quickly wiped them out.

In the blink of an eye, the battle was over and won.

"This is Wolf Leader," said the voice. "How would you fellas like to go home?"

Martinez and Joons shouted for joy, but Rick took a long, deep breath. "Sounds good, Wolf Leader," he sighed shakily. "But first, I've got a pilot to find."


	7. Sinking In

Chapter 7

The passenger compartment of the TC-1 was something Rick welcomed. On most occasions, he despised being carried through the sky without a set of flight controls at his disposal. But after the events of his harrowing close call, Rick was content to sit back and let somebody else do the flying.

The TC-1 aircraft was built for multiple roles, so it was uncommon to find two exactly alike. This particular plane's interior was cold and crude in design. Its passengers sat in two rows of bolted-down seats, ripped from the cockpits of old Veritechs. The seats were locked against the walls of exposed steel. Every few seats, a square, bulletproof window was cut into the plane's side.

But Rick was used to such things. The military seemed unable to recovered from the war's effects. With the destruction of the SDF-1 and most of the Earth's Robotech facilities, studies of the alien Robotechnology had begun to fade. A good portion of the RDF's fleet now consisted of Global War-era fighters, redesigned with elements of Robotechnology.

Rick glanced around the passenger compartment. His thoughts turned to days past, when scores of Veritechs fought against terrible odds in desparate space battles. Every time they launched, their lives were at stake, and the thousands of people aboard the SDF-1 were counting on them. 

To return alive, and fight again tomorrow.

Rick sighed, and nodded to himself. _Some things never change, I guess._

"What's your problem?"

Hansen sat beside him, on the opposite row. His flight suit was torn up, and tied together with bandages. He cradled his arm in a makeshift sling. Battlefield sutures covered his face.

"Nothing," said Rick. "Nevermind."

"Whatever," said Hansen. He turned his head and looked out the window.

Rick thought silently for a moment. "How's the arm?" he asked.

"Hurts like hell. Serves me right."

Another moment of silence, and the TC-1's engine noise filled the compartment. 

"You'd have kicked some butt in a Veritech," Rick said.

"Damn right, we would've."

Rick took a breath. "Listen...it's never easy to--"

"We're in space."

"...What?"

"Look out the window."

Rick turned around. On the other side of his window was the blackness of outer space, and the twinkle of distant stars.

"Where the hell are they taking us?" Hansen growled sullenly.

Rick unlocked his seatbelt and stood up. "I'm gonna find out."

He walked to the forward end of the compartment. A small, windowless hatch led to the cockpit. Rick opened the hatch and climbed through, shutting it behind him.

The cockpit was illuminated in bright green from the many instrument panels. The pilot and copilot's seats were side by side. The pilot was present on the left, but the right seat was empty.

"Mind if I sit down?" Rick asked.

"Sir, no sir," said the pilot casually. "What can I help you with?"

"Care to tell me why we're not going to Echo?"

"It's a long story, sir," he replied. "But you're entitled to it."

Rick sat down in the copilot's chair. "Gimme the short version."

The pilot adjusted a few knobs, and raised the throttle. "Echo Base is under lockdown, sir. There's some weird stuff going on down there."

"What do you mean, lockdown?" asked Rick. "As in, the entire base is quarantined?"

"More or less. It's been temporarily shut down since the admiral's arrest."

"Arrest?!" Rick asked. "Eh...come again?"

The pilot nodded. "In short, Admiral Sever was arrested for unknown charges. I don't know much more. But it _does _involve today's battle, I know that much."

"A..._conspiracy!"_

The pilot's helmet nodded again. "My speculation is so. But it's just a guess. _Who knows_ what's really going on anymore."

Rick leaned back in the seat, and took a breath. "Where are we going?" he said solenmly.

"Admiral Breetai is present on the _Ultimatum._ He's granted you and your squadmates asylum for as long as this takes to settle out. Sorry about this, sir...but you might be with us for awhile."

As the transport craft turned, the _G.S.S. Ultimatum _came into view. Its long, angular shape resembled the father of all Robotech starships, the SDF-1. But no ship was as massive in size, or as fantastic in design, as the Super Dimension Fortress. And in Rick's eyes, the _Ultimatum _was nothing more than a scaled-down imitation. It could never command the same authority, or deserve the same respect that the SDF-1 had so well deserved.

"I know it's not home," said the pilot, "but it's not so bad."

Rick raised an eyebrow. "Looks a lot like home to me," he said.

Rick sat beside Joons and Martinez, in a spacious council room. They addressed a panel of officials, seated at a long table across from them. The men present included Admiral James Reave, the _Ultimatum's _captain. He was a black-bearded man who sat in a motorized wheelchair, but still looked dignified and imposing in his own rite. Also present was Dr. Emil Lang, one of the first researchers on Robotechnology. Lang appeared just as he did years ago, with a dead-serious stare in his beady eyes, and wearing a lab coat he had probably used thousands of times before.

Between these two was the man called Breetai. His presence made him the center of attention by default. Once he was the commander of the SDF-1's Zentraedi pursuers. But for years now, his military genius had been at the service of the Robotech Defense Force. Even in his micronized state, he was two feet taller than the men beside him. His blue-tinted body was covered in shining battle armor. A section of his face, from his skull to under his right eye, was hidden beneath a steel mask.

"And therefore, Admiral Sever has been placed under arrest. His charges include attempted murder in the first degree, endangering the lives of military personnel, jeopardizing military property... and sexual assault by threat of violence. All of these crimes are Global Felonies. I assure you all that Sever will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Breetai's deep, powerful voice gave more weight to the terrible things he was saying. Joons and Martinez looked at each other, and shook their heads in disbelief. Rick sat forward with his elbows on the table, holding his head in his hands.

Admiral Reeve cleared his throat, and spoke. "The _G.S.S. Ultimatum _is planning to bring this case to the Global Council. We'd like to decorate Commander Hayes with the Silver Star, for her undying bravery despite the pressures and personal danger she faced. She's a true soldier if I've ever seen one."

"I'll say!" said Martinez. Joons nodded in silent approval.

Rick raised his head. "Is there any... well, any _motive _to this whole thing? I just can't understand how it makes sense!"

Dr. Lang raised his hand. "Yes, Commander Hunter," he said, in a deep and heavily accented voice. "I believe that's my field. It's a long story, however... and it's more believable with a few visual aids."

"This meeting has gone long enough," said Breetai. "I think we all deserve some rest, especially these fine soldiers here. Doctor, would you mind continuing your half of the meeting at a later time?"

"Of course," Dr. Lang nodded. "As I said, I'll need a little time to get things ready."

Breetai stood, and the rest of the room followed suit. He dismissed the miniature council. Admiral Reeve and Doctor Lang stepped forward to greet the soldiers, and Breetai stood back.

"You men are a real credit to the Global Defense," said Reeve, shaking each pilot's hand. "You'll all be decorated for your actions. I realize that doesn't mean too much right now. But you should all be proud of what you accomplished."

They thanked the admiral and saluted sharply. Doctor Lang approached next, but he addressed only Rick. "It's good to see you again, Hunter," he said. Doctor Lang was the only person Rick knew capable of a serious smile.

"You too, Doc!" said Rick. "Say, don't things usually blow up when you're around?"

The doctor smiled wider. "Indeed! I suppose it's my trade, no? Well, you're not too far off _this _time around, either. But I swear, I had nothing to do with it."

"Sever's motive?" asked Rick.

"That's right. When a military leader commits a crime, the motive is _always _power." Doctor Lang was fired with enthusiasm. "Hunter, there are things on this ship that you _have _to see."

"I can't wait," said Rick. "This one's a little too personal to let go. I want to know _everything._"

Lang chuckled as he walked off. "So do I, Hunter. I'll call you when my case is ready."

Joons poked Rick on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir..."

Rick turned around. Breetai was standing beside the table, towering over the pilots. His powerful arms were folded at his chest.

Martinez slowly leaned toward Rick. "I think he wants us to leave," he whispered.

Rick laughed. "Why, did he say so?"

"No, but I'm leaving anyway!" Martinez saluted and quickly shuffled out the door.

Joons shook his head, laughing. "I'll catch up with you later." He turned and saluted Breetai. "Sir!"

The giant Zentraedi nodded his head slightly, and a rather unnerved Joons left for the door.

Breetai lowered his hands, and grinned widely at Rick. "It appears I still have it," he said. "It is good to see you, old friend."

"You too," Rick smiled, shaking the admiral's hand. "This has been a rough go, to say the least. I'm happy to see some familiar faces around."

"War takes its toll on a man," said Breetai.

"It sure isn't the life I asked for," said Rick. "Just when I think I'm getting used to things, I find out there's an admiral trying to kill me _and_ make love to my..." He stopped short. "Um...eh, nevermind."

Breetai thought for a moment. "Ah, yes. Of course, Lisa Hayes. You are personally involved with the commander, then?"

"Well, I'm trying to be," said Rick. "But it's been stressful lately, with the Uprising heating up and all. I spend most of my time in the air."

The Zentraedi nodded his head. "Today's news must have been quite disconcerting, then."

"Yeah... you can say that again."

Breetai rubbed his chin with his armor-gloved hand. "Yes, now that you mention it...I do recall hearing about your relationship."

Rick blinked his eyes. "Wait...what do you mean, _you've _heard?_" _he laughed.

"Was there not a recent incident at the Echo landing strip?"

"Oh, great!" Rick shook his head. "Even _aliens _knows about us!"

Breetai chuckled deeply. "You are a lucky man. Her devotion to you seems unending. Have you seen her?"

"Excuse me?"

"Have you seen her, since you arrived?"

"She's _here?"_ said Rick. "I thought she was at the base!"

"No, of course not. Lisa was brought to this ship as well. We met with her just before you arrived."

"I... I don't believe it!" Rick said, leaning against the table. "I've gotta find her! Is she all right?"

Breetai nodded. "She passed the physical examination. As for her psychological state, I am unclear. But judging from her appearance, she was very tired. I am sure she would enjoy seeing you."

"That's unbelievable!" said Rick.

"Oh? She would _not _enjoy seeing you, then?"

Rick looked up. "What? _Oh! _No, not that! It's just that... I didn't think I'd see her for...who knows _how _long!"

Breetai glanced at the wall clock. "I also have business to attend to. Admiral Reeve is meeting with me in a few minutes. I hope to see you and Miss Hayes before you leave."

"You too! And thank you, sir!" Rick saluted, and left the room. He ran full-tilt down the corridor, searching for an information terminal. _Hang on, Lisa! I'll find you... but... what happens when I do?_

The North Recreation Area was just one of the many places for soldiers aboard the _Ultimatum _to rest. It was a multi-level hall that combined an exercise room, cafeteria, and library, broken into separate rooms that wrapped around a central lounge area. The crew's quarters made up the surrounding walls, save a long, tall stretch that was composed of glass. Planet Earth hung in view, and the _Ultimatum's _repair craft hummed past in busy procession.

Rick stepped into the hall, in total dejection. He was still in his jumpsuit, dusted with sand from the early battle. His hair was matted down from his helmet. His eyes were barely open, and lined with dark creases from lack of sleep.

_She's not in her quarters, _he thought. _She's not in any of the sickbays...thank goodness she's not in the psych ward! She isn't in the library, or the cafeteria..._

He glanced around the lounge. The lights were dimmed, and the tables and booths were not occupied.

_Check mate, _he sighed inwardly. _Lisa Hayes, either you're not on this ship, or you're running from me. And either way, I guess I'm not going to find you._

He sat down at a table, and banged his head against the surface. His forehead met with a magazine cover. It was the newest issue of _Monument! _magazine, with a front-page shot of Lynn Minmei. She posed fetchingly in a yellow bikini, her long black hair tossed around her shoulders. She held a microphone to her smiling face, and gazed widely at the camera.

And directly at Rick.

He growled and shoved the magazine off the table. His head fell again; this time, it met the wood surface with a dull crack. _Much better, _thought Rick. _There's the headache I was looking for..._

He opened his eyes, and saw the magazine on the floor. It made him gasp and turn away.

_What are you afraid of? _he asked himself. _You've already beaten it. You learned your lesson. You don't love her. You don't even like her! She tried to command you, to ruin your life. You made a mistake, and you moved on! You fell head-over-heels in love with Lisa, and you've never been happier! So what's the big deal?_

His thoughts turned to Lisa, smiling on the instrument panel of his Veritech. To the blazing wreckage of Cabe's fighter. To himself, on so many occasions, stumbling over his own words in Lisa's presence. To the Zentraedi soldier, standing over him in rage. And back again, to the image of Minmei on the cover.

_Maybe I know what I'm afraid of, _he sighed. _I'm afraid of hurting her. She deserves so much better than all this. She's worked so hard... only to be disappointed, so many times. And so much of it was my fault... man, I was such a loser. Too confused to know what was really important. Too self-absorbed to know I was tearing her apart... Every time I fought with her... every time I blew her off to chase after Minmei..._

_I really am pathetic, _he thought, and clapped his head on the table again.

"Oh my gosh! ...Hello? Is someone there?"

Rick snapped awake, at the sound of Lisa's voice. His tired eyes scanned over the hall. He found her at a booth next to the giant glass window, peering into the darkness with a worried face. She sighed, and dropped her head into her arms, slumped on the table.

Taking a deep breath, and rubbing his face awake, Rick stood up. He quietly stepped across the room. _What am I going to do? Thank her for saving me? Apologize for what happened to her? ...For not being there? Tell her, "Yeah, I was a jerk before, but I'm crazy about you now!" Try to convince her she's not wasting her time? That it's enough... to love her now?_

_ Apologize... for ruining her life..._

He stopped at her table, and looked down at her. Lisa's uniform was creased and scratched. Her face was hidden in the cloth of her sleeves. She sobbed wearily, rocking her head in her arms.

Rick gently whispered her name. She breathed a cry, and looked up. Her hair was a tangled mess, and it covered her face. Tears streamed across her cheeks. She slowly gasped, and gazed into his eyes.

He choked on his own breath. His head spun painfully, looking for something to say. He failed, just as he had failed every time before. But Lisa's eyes searched for him, staring deeply with a care he had never felt with anyone else. Her gaze chilled him with nervous tension. But at the same time, he felt a strength that only she could provide.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered, and placed a shaking hand on her shoulder. "But I love you."

Lisa's tired face lightened, and she blinked away her tears, and smiled. With her arms reaching for him, she stood weakly, and he caught her halfway. Lisa closed her eyes, and kissed him. Rick froze in fear as he felt her form press against him, cradled in his arms.

She parted from the kiss, and blinked shyly. "Rick...we'll make it," she whispered softly. "We'll make it..."

He smiled, and looked back into her tired eyes. "I know we will," he said, and kissed her again.


	8. Taking Notice

_a/n: This one was lots of fun to write! I hope you all like it. I'm trying to keep everything at a regular pace, but that's easier said than done. There's a lot transpiring at once but I like to keep each chapter coherent to a theme, or at least one situation._

_I'm thrilled with the encouragement I'm getting on this fic. Thanks again, everybody...I'm doing my best on this. It's great to see other people having fun with it too._

_BTW, I like how this chapter ends. Does Rick remind anybody else of Charlie Brown? Rick Hunter, you blockhead. =D_

Chapter 8

A week had passed since Lisa arrived on the _Ultimatum. _Considering her experience at Echo, Admiral Reeve had refused to assign her a position while onboard. He told Lisa, as well as Rick and his wingmen, to consider their time as off-duty. James Hansen, the surviving bomber pilot, was sent back to Earth for medical attention. Lisa was told not to worry, and that he would be in the best of care and safety.

She was enjoying the freetime very much. Rick spent most of each day with her, and she loved every moment they could share. Granted, there was not much to do aboard a battle cruiser in orbit. But Lisa was easy company to keep. She was quite content with exploring the ship's hallways with him, or sharing a humble dinner in the mess hall.

As she sat alone, her thoughts trailed away to the evening before, when the cafeteria was shut down. A candle-lit table was set for two. A ripped tablecloth covered the steel surface as best it could.

Rick appeared from the kitchen, sharply dressed in a new officer's uniform. He proudly kicked open the swiveling doors. They swung back, and nearly knocked him off his feet, but he jumped away. He quickly straightened his step and saved face, silently mumbling some curse in the doors' direction.

Lisa giggled, and hid a smile.

Rick balanced a silver platter in one hand, which he nearly dropped a few times. He finally got to the table and Lisa offered up a proper applause.

"Voila!" He lifted the platter, and presented a gourmet pasta dishr. "My dear, dinner is served!"

Lisa was taken aback. "Rick!" she gasped in surprise. "It's beautiful!"

"And you thought I couldn't cook," he boasted with a smile.

"I can't believe you! And you made this all yourself?"

Rick opened his mouth, but the kitchen doors kicked open again. The _Ultimatum's _head cook appeared. "Yes he did! I just told him the recipe, handed him the ingredients, and had _lots _of patience!"

"Thank you very _much, _Rocky!" Rick blushed, and waved. "I see you've decided to go back on our _deal_, then!"

"Back door was locked," shrugged the cook. "G'night, kids!"

Lisa brushed away tears of laughter, and thanked the man as well. Rick waited until the doors were shut, and stared at them for a few more seconds, just to be sure.

"I really did make it!" he said proudly. "I swear! It's probably terrible, but it's all my doing!"

Lisa laughed, and dried her tears again. She smiled at him earnestly. "Rick...thank you."

He joined her at the table. "I just... wish I could do more..."

The vision faded, as she felt a careful tap on her shoulder. 

"Excuse me, Commander."

She blinked her eyes, and found herself in the exercise room. Rubber mats were stretched across the floor in the center, surrounded by fixed-weight machines of varying impact. Mirrors hung on each wall, and a radio in the corner played some uninteresting dance music.

Michael Joons stood properly beside her. "Are you finished with the machine, ma'am?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes! Of course."

Lisa picked herself up from the exercise machine. "Thanks," said Joons. "I can't stand these archaic battle cruisers, you know? It's like you just waste away up here."

"Yeah, that's true," she said, inwardly cross for the ruin of her daydream. She stepped into the center of the room for some stretching.

Joons kept trying at some conversation. "I get nervous every time I stay on one of these things," he said pleasantly. "I've gotta work out like mad to keep in shape. I think I've actually toned up a little more, though."

Lisa chuckled. "There isn't much else to do up here, that's for sure."

The pilot finished a set on his machine, and took a moment to rest. "Miss Hayes, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Her attention piqued. "Well... no, of course not!" she said.

"What was it like, living on the SDF-1?"

She thought for a moment. "Hmm... I guess that's a hard question to answer, really."

Joons wiped his face with a towel. "I hope you don't take offense. Just curious, that's all."

"No, of course not!" Lisa stretched out on the mat. "Umm...you know how some people can go back to a pivotal point in their lives? Something that changed them... changed the way they look at things."

"Yes ma'am," Joons listened, but continued to exercise.

"The SDF-1...that was it for me. In just a few days, we found ourselves in the far reaches of space, with no way home..." she stood up and leaned against a mirror. "Aboard an alien spacecraft, and being hunted down by Zentraedi."

"That's unbelievable," said Joons. "I've thought about it a million times. I can't imagine how I'd react to something like that."

Lisa laughed. "And I can't believe I acted as I did! We all... well, we just didn't think about it. We did what we had to, just to keep going." Her eyes trailed away. "And I guess...you start to see things differently... and you view people in a different light. You realize...that you need them more than you imagined...and you find yourself hoping...that they need you..."

She gasped lightly and snapped awake. A frightened blush crossed her face. _Quit daydreaming, Lisa! You're embarrassing yourself!_

But Joons had his back turned. It seemed he didn't notice. "Mm-hmm," he nodded. "Guess you do what you've gotta do."

She felt relieved, but still flustered. "So..." she continued quickly, "you weren't with us in space, then?"

"No ma'am," he shook his head. "I didn't enlist until much later."

"Really!" said Lisa. "And you're already a VF-1 lieutenant! You must be something of a prodigy."

He grinned proudly. "Thank you, ma'am. So I'm told. I guess there's not many eighteen-year-olds in Veritechs these days."

Lisa was stunned. She nearly slipped off the mirror. "You're..._eighteen?_ My gosh, that's phenomenal!"

"You're too kind!" Joons smiled politely. "If you'll excuse me, I'll head outside and deflate my ego."

She laughed, but was still dumbfounded. "Yes, well, goodbye then."

"Nice talking to you!" he waved. "See you later."

Lisa's head rested on the mirror. _Unbelievable...an eighteen-year-old in a Veritech. He's...he's just a boy! How could they allow such a thing?_

She recalled the memory of young Rick Hunter, fumbling through Macross City in a Veritech during the first Zentraedi attack. _I guess fate doesn't play favorites, _she sighed.

Next to her mirror, a window gave view to the next room. Lisa decided to have a look. It was a large training room that extended to a floor below her. A rubber mat was spread from wall to wall, and punching bags hung from the corners. The room was empty, except for two soldiers engaged in sparring practice.

It was Rick Hunter, and Lieutenant Dan Martinez. They circled each other and threw quick jabs, looking for open spots to attack.

Lisa's eyes remained on Rick. He wore a pair of blue sweatpants, and his hands and feet were taped for sparring. He was shirtless; Lisa traced over his form, and his determined face. She slowly moved her eyes to follow his movements. He skipped across the floor; her eyes went with him. 

She stared, and smiled weakly.

Rick shouted at his opponent. She could not hear him through the glass, but she imagined the pointed authority of his voice. Rick crouched down as his foe charged at him. He quickly rolled aside, swept out the attacker's legs, and bent back his arm. He quickly released it and hopped to his feet. He began to circle and he shouted again, before his opponnent could even stand.

Lisa's knees began to weaken. She leaned against the windowsill with her elbows, red-faced and smiling in a dreamy trance.

"You're not paying attention!" Rick shouted. "Get up and try again."

Dan Martinez growled, and rubbed his arm. "Man!" he said, "watch the arm!"

He stumbled up, and wiped his face. Rick was dancing circles around him, jabbing at his face. Martinez raised his hands to block, took a deep breath, and got back in stance.

"Keep moving," said Rick. "And _listen _this time. You're fighting Zentraedi, so _think _like one. _Fight _like one!"

Martinez threw a punch. "I fight _my _way, sir. I could take a Zentraedi just fine."

"Remember Breetai?" Rick shouted with steely eyes. He kicked through Martinez' block, knocking him on his back. "A Zentraedi is a _killing machine. _It's a living weapon. Learn how it works! Find out how to break it!"

"I'll shoot it in the _face,"_ said Martinez, leaping to his feet.

"Ehhh...alright, fine." Rick walked to the corner of the room, and picked up an unloaded handgun. "Here," he said, tossing the weapon to Martinez. "Shoot me in the face."

Rick charged, and ducked as Martinez caught the gun. He rolled around to the pilot's back. Martinez pulled back on the slide, but Rick paid no attention to the gun. He jumped up, grabbed Martinez by the neck and skull, and stood still.

"Stop!" he shouted.

Martinez had the gun halfway up. "What?" he sneered, annoyed.

Rick applied a tiny bit of pressure, and Martinez screamed and fell. Rick backed away and stopped circling.

"I just broke your neck, that's what!" he said. "Or I would have, if I was a Zentraedi."

Martinez rubbed his neck and stood silently.

"I don't care _how _good you _think _you are," said Rick. "They're better. I've seen a single Zentraedi bring down a_ crowd_ of men. If you want to survive a ditch from your Veritech, you've got to _adapt! _Study their technique! Think on your feet! Use surprise! Anything to stay alive."

Martinez nodded his head, and wiped off his face as he sat down on the mat. He looked up to the wall behind Rick. "Hey!" he said. "We've got a spectator!"

Rick rolled his eyes and spun about to see who it was. He was shocked to see Lisa watching from the high window. She wore a black leotard that wrapped against her figure, but concealed it under a loose towel. Blushing and smiling, she leaned in the window and looked down at Rick. But when he met her gaze, she quickly stumbled back.

Rick nearly tripped over himself. He waved happily in her direction, as she reappeared in the window, hiding her red face and trying to straighten her towel. He sighed inwardly as she looked down and meekly waved back.

Martinez cracked his skull with a roundhouse kick. Rick slid against the mat, crumpled under the ferocious blow. He slowly gathered himself up, to see the lieutenant standing at attention.

"Element of surprise, sir!" he reported, with a worried look on his face. "I'm sorry, sir!"

Rick glanced up at Lisa; she was banging on the soundproof glass and shouting madly. He rubbed his head, and looked Martinez in the eye.

"Not bad," he shrugged.

Lisa sat beside Rick on the sofa in his quarters. She carefully held an icepack to his temple. "Oh, Rick, I can't believe he did that!" she sulked. "I think the swelling's going down..."

The ice slipped down and pressed a little too hard. Rick bit his lip. "Yup, feels great."

"Do you think he did it on purpose?" she asked.

"Nah, I doubt it," said Rick, shaking his head. The icepack slipped across the bump on his head. He winced. "Egh..._ahem. _Uh, no, I think he's just a little headstrong. He's got a lot to learn, but he'll be all right."

"I'm more worried about _you!" _Lisa pouted sweetly.

She hugged his waist with her free hand. The ice slipped once more. "_Ehm..._" Rick coughed. "Hey...Lisa? Do you think that's enough ice for now? It's, uh, getting a little too chilly."

"Hmm...? _Oh! _Gosh, I'm sorry!"

She set the icepack on the floor, and dabbed at his wound with a cloth. "Thank you," sighed Rick.

Lisa held the cloth gently in Rick's hair, and traced her fingers across his chin. "Looks like he got you right here, too..." she said quietly. "I felt so bad when I saw that..."

"Thanks," he smiled. "But...yeah, like I said, he didn't mean any harm. Just a cocky kid trying to show off...that's kind of how it goes with rookies..."

His eyes watched her fingers, as they gingerly caressed his chin. "And...you know...I guess it's just..." He blinked his eyes. "What was I saying, again?"

Lisa smiled bashfully, and they drew close for a kiss. But Lisa placed her hand on the icepack behind her. She gasped and twitched forward, knocking heads with Rick.

"Augh!" Rick pulled his hands to his face, but he quickly stopped himself. "Ooh...okay, that's a tender spot."

"Oh...oh my gosh...I didn't...I'm so sorry!" Lisa stuttered.

"No! No, that's all right," Rick gritted his teeth a little. "That one was my fault."

"Wha..._what? _No, I just bumped you on the head!"

"Oh, well...uh...you did? I mean, yeah...well, it's fine, really."

They both exhaled deeply. Lisa rubbed her face and shook with frustration and embarrassment. But Rick wrapped his arms around her, and smiled. She curled up gently against his chest. After a moment, she was relaxed, and the throbbing in Rick's head was gone.

"We'll make it," said Rick.

Lisa sighed. "If we don't _finish each other off_ first..."

They laughed together, and held each other warmly. But Rick cast an ominous stare at the icepack.


	9. Long Dead Secrets

Chapter 9

Lisa and Rick walked down the corridor, guided by two armed soldiers. They both looked for signs of familiarity, but neither of them had seen this area of the ship yet. They had lost their sense of direction long ago, and none of the doors or passages were marked. Rick wasn't sure why, but he felt nervous. Lisa shared in that feeling.

They passed a series of high-security doors, thanks to the soldiers' keycards. Security began to tighten as they traversed further. Cameras followed their path, and checkpoints stopped them frequently to check ID.

They finally reached a dead-end to the hallway. The soldiers did not enter their keys this time, but the door opened in advance. Rick and Lisa stopped before reaching it. They peered inside, but could not make out what was inside.

One of the guards raised a walkie-talkie. "Doctor Lang," he called, "we're at the gate. The visitors will be waiting." He turned to Rick and Lisa, and grinned. "Welcome to the freak show, kids."

Rick cut the tension. "That's welcome to the freak show, _sir,_" he pointed out. Lisa smiled.

The guards departed, and soon afterward, Dr. Lang appeared from within the dark room. "Good day," he nodded. "Commander Hunter, Commander Hayes, it's a pleasure to present this opportunity. Please, follow me."

He ushered the two into the room, and the security door hissed shut behind them. It was pitch black. Rick felt for Lisa's hand, but she found his first. They squeezed each other's palms tightly.

"Say, Doctor," said Rick, after some time in the darkness had passed. "You still in here?"

Dr. Lang's voice carried from a few feet away. "Over here, Hunter. Looking for the switch. Our subject is asleep right now. Courtesy, you know."

Lisa tightened her grip on Rick's hand. Another moment passed. "Hey Doc," said Rick. "You don't dabble in _mad scientism, _by chance..."

The doctor laughed, directly behind Rick and Lisa. They jumped forward as he replied. "Sorry for the delay...we've got some power cords disconnected. We're trying to conserve...this operation consumes massive amounts of power. Ah, here we go!"

Dr. Lang stepped beside them. "And without further ado, I present to you..._Eo Prime."_

The lights flashed on. Rick and Lisa found themselves in a steel-walled viewing room with a giant glass window. Before them lay a circular chamber filled with cables and electronic monitors. In the center was a long steel gourney. Flourescent lamps threw light at the bed from every direction.

A humanoid figure lay motionless on the bed. He was covered in a black rubberlike suit from head to toe, except for his face and the center of his chest. He was tall and powerfully built. The skin on his face was pale white. Electrical cables ran from the sockets of his eyes to nearby machines. His hands were missing, and long cables ran to similar machines from his wrists.

Lisa gasped, and stepped away from the window. Rick put his arm around her waist.

But Dr. Lang was oblivious to the situation. "I trust he looks familiar," he beamed.

Lisa mustered the courage for a second look. "He...he found me at the base!" She blinked in terror. "...What happened to him?"

"Oh, nothing happened," said Lang. "He's perfectly fine. Well, I shouldn't say that much. He has a bullet lodged in his breastbone, but we're working on it. Other than that, he's fit as a fiddle."

"...I've seen fitter," Rick whispered. "He's... a machine?"

The doctor shook his head. "No, Hunter. He's a _Zentraedi. _But he's unlike any Zentraedi we've come across. His body has been completely modified to interface with an _amazing_ Variable Fighter. Its instruments are fed directly to Eo's _brain! _His control over the craft is stunning."

"Doctor..." said Lisa. "Do we have this fighter in our posession?"

"We do," nodded Lang. "In fact, Hunter has even _flown it. _Eo's craft is the VF-1X."

Rick's thoughts trailed back to the stripped-down test fighter. "Now I get it! _That's _why my instruments were so poorly made. The original pilot didn't _need _them!"

Eo Prime stirred, and lifted slowly off the gourney. The wires zipped back into his wrists and eye sockets. A skeletal frame extended from his arms, and rotated into place at the ends, forming a pair of spiny hands and fingers. He sat on the table and looked tiredly around his chamber.

"He can't see us," said Lang. "But it makes no difference. He's fully devoted to the Global Defense."

Rick ran his hand through his hair. "So... Admiral Sever built a new Veritech...and did _this _to a Zentraedi man? How didn't the RDF know about this?"

"I don't believe that's how it went," Lang replied. "Because the VF-1X isn't new... it's _old. _We can date it back to almost a _decade_ before the SDF-1 crashed on Macross. We believe that's also when Eo was cloned."

Lisa gasped. "The _Zentraedi _created him?"

"Mm-hmm. And we're guessing that somehow, he was lost on Earth during the fighting. But Admiral Sever found him, modified his craft to look like a VF-1, and... who knows what his plans were."

Rick blinked his eyes in shock. "I don't believe it."

"Don't worry, of course," said Lang. "He's on our side. In fact, he seems to know both of your names. He asks about you frequently. It seems as though we've landed ourselves a supersoldier, so we have nothing to fear."

He stopped, and straightened his lab coat. "Unless..."

Lisa sighed apprehensively. "Unless there's more of him."

Rick sat between Joons and Martinez in the briefing room. "You guys ready?" he asked.

"You bet, sir!" said Joons quickly.

"No," chuckled Martinez. "Can I go home?"

They watched as a large viewscreen flickered to life, showing an image of the _Ultimatum's _bridge. Admiral Breetai stood at the commander's position, along with Jameson Reave, the ship's captain. Breetai was the first to speak.

"Greetings, gentlemen. This mission is of extremely high priority, and we entrust that you will carry it out to the fullest extent."

"Sir, yes sir!" they stood and saluted.

"Good," nodded Breetai. "We are sending you back to New Macross City, to infiltrate Echo Base. Last night, the base was invaded by a Malcontent armada. Much of the area was evacuated due to the recent events, so thankfully we were spared many casualties. But as of now, New Macross is without a military installation. Flush out the Malcontents so we can begin rebuilding the base."

Admiral Reeve spoke next. "But the most important part of your mission regards Eo Prime. We must find out where he came from, and whether the Malcontents have similar threats brewing. If the computer database is online, search it for information regarding Eo."

Martinez saluted again. "Sir! Wouldn't it be easier to _ask _him, sir!"

Rick winced angrily. Breetai thinned his eyes, and growled deeply. "Perhaps _you _should ask him, Lieutenant."

The briefing room door slid shut, and Eo Prime stepped inside. He was fitted with a shining black jumpsuit, and the rubberized covering was missing from his skull. Metal inputs were present on the sides of his head.

He stood sharply, and saluted the admirals. Breetai turned his manevolent eyes from Martinez. "Eo, we are counting on you to protect these men at all cost. Do you understand?"

"Sir! Yes sir!" Eo boomed.

"Excellent. We have faith in you, Eo. Rick Hunter is the commanding officer for this mission. He will designate the plan for insertion, execution, and evacuation. Good luck, men."

The screen's image dissipated. Rick stood, and turned to Eo, offering his hand. "Rick Hunter," he said. "Good to have you aboard."

Eo took the handshake firmly. Through his glove, Rick felt the cold sharpness of his metallic fingers. "I will not fail, sir!" said Eo with much fervor.

Martinez looked at the Zentraedi pilot in shock. He turned to Joons. "This can _not _be a good thing," he said.

Hawk Squadron stepped quickly through the _Ultimatum's _hangar. They passed the Wolf Pack's famous VF-1 squadron, lined up in succession. A row of perfectly-maintained fighters, they were painted in aggressive blue and grey hues, and loaded with state-of-the-art weaponry. Mechanics worked on the Veritechs constantly, keeping them ready for battle at a moment's notice.

Pilots and crew members waved at Rick and his wingmen, as they walked by to their waiting Veritechs. Rick was too absorbed in the mission to notice. "I heard you were wounded in combat," he said to Eo. "Think you'll be alright?"

Eo nodded. "My brother and I are prepared for any situation."

"Your brother?" asked Rick. He raised his voice over the increasing engine noise.

"Yes, my brother. You have met him... do you not remember?"

Rick thought for a moment. "Uh... can't say as I have. What's his name?"

"He has no name," sad Eo, "but the military seems to enjoy calling him 'Ecks.'"

Joons and Martinez caught up to hear the conversation. Rick was still turning over the idea. "I'm sorry... I don't know of a man named 'Ecks.' Is he on this ship?"

Eo sped up his pace. "I will show you."

They reached their Veritechs, being loaded onto the elevators for the runway. Rick, Joons, and Martinez all had miniature boosters attached to their craft. Last in line was the VF-1X, with its arching tailfins and massive engines. It needed no modifications.

"There," called Eo. He pointed to the VF-1X. "There is my brother."

Rick stared at the craft. "Oh! ...Yes, of course!" he said. "Yeah, he saved my life a few days ago. I'm sorry, I don't know where my head was."

"I will transfer your gratitude to him, Commander. I launch on your mark." Eo saluted, and left for his fighter.

Rick turned to Joons and Martinez. "Don't ask me!" he shrugged.

"He talks to his Veritech," said Martinez. "Great. Awesome. _Whose _idea was this again?"

"Breetai's!" called Rick, as the wingmen headed for their Veritechs. "So it's a _great _idea!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Martinez gave a sloppy salute with his back turned.

Next to his own VF-1, Rick noticed a large TC-1 transport being prepared for flight. It was armored heavily and fitted with several rocket packs. Lisa Hayes stood beside the craft, speaking loudly with the pilot. She was dressed in a tight-fitting space suit that bore the RDF logo on the shoulder.

Rick sprinted to her side. "What the heck is going on?" he shouted over the growling engine.

The pilot saluted. "Just going over emergency evacuations for Commander Hayes, sir! We're scheduled to take off as soon as you're airborne."

"Where are you _going?" _said Rick.

Lisa rubbed her forehead, as the pilot replied. "With you, sir! Weren't you informed?"

"...What?!" Rick said. "Pilot...go do something! I've gotta clear this up."

"Yes sir, I'll be in the cockpit!"

The pilot climbed into the TC-1. Rick and Lisa stepped away from the noisy engines.

"Rick, I know what you're thinking..." Lisa began. "But you're going to need my help!"

"Lisa, you can't possibly want to come _with _us!" Rick replied. "The base could be filled with Zentraedi! It's a death trap down there!"

"And _that's _why I have to come! You need someone to quickly hack into the computers. I can use my password to get the information so you won't be hung up waiting!"

Rick shook his head "Absolutely _not. _Joons has the experience. We'll do just fine!"

"Rick, just _think_ about it for a minute," said Lisa, rubbing her face in frustration. "I can help you. I know there's a risk involved. I enlisted knowing that! And I want to do my part in this!"

"You _are _doing your part...!"

"An what's that, huh?" she stopped him. "Waiting for you to come home?"

"I did _not _say that!" Rick interjected. "It's just that... you're a bridge officer! I don't want you in a combat situation... there's more experienced people for the job!"

Lisa gasped. "How _dare _you insinuate that I'm inexperienced! I'll have you know that I've been in the service _far _longer than you!"

"Lisa...I didn't say that _either! _Just try to consider what you're _doing!"_

"I'm doing my duty, Rick! I have obligations to keep as well! And I'm not going to sit up here and... and..."

Her voice began to quiver. She blinked away a tear. "...And watch you _die _on a _television screen! _There, are you happy now?!"

Rick placed his hand on her shoulder. "Lisa, _please..._ you aren't _ready _for this!"

She fought her shaking breaths. "And...who says _you _are, Rick? Maybe it's an ambush! Maybe you'll never leave that base alive! Maybe...you'll..."

She shook off his hand. "Breetai thinks I'm ready! He authorized this and I'm coming with you, like it or not!"

Rick stood silently, and watched her closely. He finally took a deep breath. "Pilot!" he shouted.

The TC-1 pilot crawled out of the hatch. "Yessir!"

"Get Commander Hayes some decent armor, and a weapon or two! You think we're sending her out like _this?"_

"Right away, sir!"

Rick turned to Lisa, and saluted her. His eyes peered at her earnestly. "See you at Echo, Commander! Good hunting!"

She nodded nervously. "Rick...I just can't..."

He turned his back and marched away, checking his flight suit as he went. He screamed inwardly.

"Rick...wait!"

"Officer!" he shouted, ducking under the engines of his fighter.

"Rick! Please!" Lisa screamed. He let her voice trail off, mixed with the engine growl.

The deck officer gave him the thumbs-up, and he climbed the ladder to his cockpit. His hands were cold; he felt a drop of sweat run down his forehead.

Joons was to his right. His canopy was closing, and he was fitting his helmet onto his suit. "Oh yeah, I love this part!" he said wryly.

Rick punched his canopy button. His instruments were all green for go. He sighed deeply, and checked each one a second time.

"Sir, are you all right?" Joons asked. "You seem a little tense."

"Yeah..." said Rick, fumbling with his helmet. "Yeah, I'm fine. Getting stir crazy up here. Let's light 'em up, Joons." His voice was hoarse and strained.

Joons tried to ease the tension. "Gotta love these space jumps," he said. "All the speed and none of the G's, you know?"

Rick did not reply. He looked back at the TC-1, and at Lisa, climbing into its hatch. He felt sick to his stomach.


	10. Hanging by a Thread

_a/n:_

_ I think it's necessary to take a moment and discuss this chapter's content. Please be advised: it contains material that may be considered graphic. I've re-written it many times and run it through multiple edits, and I believe that the content here would be fitting for a Robotech episode, albeit a darker one. I've also tried to keep everything centered and relevant to future events in the story. I feel that I really need this chapter, but again, it may be a stretch for some Robotech fans. Feel free to judge me accordingly. =)_

Chapter 10

Rick stepped down from his VF-1 Guardian, covered in tactical armor and cradling an assault rifle. The landing strip was cratered with blast holes. All around him, the hangars were crushed and burned down. The base's control tower was destroyed. Rick tried to keep from looking at the tower. 

Joons and Martinez skidded to a halt beside Rick's fighter. Their Guardians lowered and both pilots climbed from the cockpits.

"The perimeter is clear," said Joons. "There isn't a single pod anywhere."

"They're gone?" asked Rick, loading a magazine into his rifle.

"Every trace of them," said Martinez. "Looks like they decided to trash the place and leave."

The TC-1 roared down from the sky, escorted by Eo Prime's black Veritech. The transport craft hovered to the surface, and the VF-1 switched to Guardian and landed at its side.

Eo climbed from the cockpit. His ladder folded up, and the canopy shut automatically. His chest, arms and legs were plated with silver armor, and a steel helmet covered his head, with long slits for the eyes.

"The base has been abandoned," he said. His voice was altered by the helmet's speaker. "Perhaps a warring Malcontent faction has pressed them away."

"I doubt it," said Rick. "There were enough pods here to bring down the base. I'm sure they could have defended it..." 

The TC-1's hatch slid open. Lisa stepped out, wearing a tactical suit and holstering a sidearm pistol at her thigh. She surveyed the area with nervous eyes. She skipped quickly over Rick, without making contact.

Rick felt his stomach grow uneasy again. "Okay..." he said tensely. "You all know the base floorplan. We're going to hit each computer terminal until we get one that's working."

He looked to Lisa. She turned around confidently, checking her munitions. He sighed, and shook his head.

"Joons, Martinez and Eo," he continued. "You'll wait on the roof in Building E-5. The commander and I will head straight for the Main Terminal. If it's dead, you'll have to break into E-5 and use the office computers there. Get in position and wait for my signal."

Joons and Martinez nodded, and ran stealthily for a large building at the edge of the landing strip. They stopped and turned back; Eo was not with them.

"I must accompany you, Commander Hunter," said Eo from behind his helmet.

"Eo," Rick said wearily. "We'll be fine. I gave you an order, and I expect it to be carried out."

But Eo refused. "Commander Hayes is not suited for combat situations. I will provide necessary cover for your insertion."

"Let him go!" called Martinez. "We can handle this!"

Rick nodded at Eo. "All right then," he said. "Come with us."

He quickly double-checked his gear, and waved for Lisa and Eo to follow him. They took a less conspicuous route, sneaking through the alley between two burned-out hangars. Rick had his eyes on every dark shadow, and he aimed his rifle at each meaningless noise around him.

Eo followed him closely, slinking into shadows, ready to lay down supressing fire if necessary. He knew Rick's commands like clockwork. Even Rick's waves and hand signals were perfectly recognized. It was as if Eo Prime was a tried and true RDF soldier. It offered Rick a little comfort.

But for every calculated move Eo made, Lisa tripped on another loud object. She barely kept pace. Her breathing was too quick; it threw Rick off his game. She did not have her gun drawn, and the magazine in her pistol was probably her only ammunition.

She caught her foot on a piece of concrete, and splashed into a puddle of water. Rick stopped and turned around. He quickly offered a helping hand. But Lisa stood on her own, and brushed off her weatherproof suit.

"Keep going," she said, retaining a professional tone of voice.

He shook his head, and stepped up to the front of the line. "Last chance to turn back," he sighed.

Lisa growled in frustration. "No!" she cried, clenching her fists.

Rick continued his unfaltering pace. "Fine," he replied, without turning his head."Keep it down, please. We don't want our presence found out."

They pressed on for the heavily secured door at the end of the alley. Rick felt a terrible lack of confidence as he stepped quickly between the shambles of the base. Lisa followed as quickly as she could, and in perfect silence. But her shaking breaths kept a foothold on the corner of Rick's mind.

Eo Prime covered their movements perfectly. His steps broke the concrete slabs under his feet.

Joons leaned carefully over the roof's edge, scanning the surroundings with the sniper scope built into his helmet. The area was clear, but the chance of a Zentraedi encounter was enough to make him jumpy.

"Will you get over here?" said Martinez, knelt down on the ground. "You're asking to get shot, man."

"They throw a grenade up here and we're finished," said Joons. He slinked away from the edge.

Martinez shook his head. "That's where you start using your head. See this plate glass?" He pointed to a large glass sunroof beside him. "We'd blow this baby out..."

"And fall twenty feet onto a bunch of computers," Joons finished. "And then he throws the _second _grenade, and we get humiliated _and _blown up."

Martinez chuckled. "Whatever." He toyed with his rifle's safety. "I wish they'd hurry up and _call _us already."

"I still think we should have gone with the others," said Joons.

"Hunter said the'd be fine! Don't worry about it. With any luck, they won't need _us _anyway."

Joons shook his head. "Whatever," he repeated.

They noticed movement in the office below, and slowly backed away. A pair of soldiers entered the room, dressed in armor that was pieced together from many different suits. They bore older-model submachine guns. After checking the space, they waved to the door.

A young man stepped inside. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with long black hair in a ponytail. His armor was more ornamental, but less effective-looking than the soldiers'. His weapon, however, was a powerful Zentraedi blaster rifle.

Martinez pointed at the young man. "That's Lynn Kyle!" he whispered. "The activist from Monument!"

"I thought he was a pacifist," said Joons.

"I'd say he's had a change of heart. But what's he doing here?"

Joons slipped, and his hand bumped against the glass. Lynn's soldiers quickly raised their weapons and riddled the skylight with bullets. Martinez and Joons rolled away from the shattering glass.

"Way to _go!" _growled Martinez. He spun quickly into the corner of the window, and pinned a soldier to the wall with gunfire.

Joons felt a shard of glass rip the shoulder of his tactical suit. He fired a burst of shots through the window. The second guard fell silent.

The skylight crashed in. Joons and Martinez dropped to the floor on zipline cords, training their sights on Lynn. Joons edged his gun barrel down toward the floor. "Throw your weapon to us!" he began. "Place your hands on your--"

"Shut up, Joons!" said Martinez. He gripped the trigger carefully. "I've got half a mind to _drop you now, _Lynn," he sneered.

Lynn Kyle thinned his eyes, and held his weapon across his chest. His eyes were cold and assured, as he stared down the barrels of their weapons.

"Yes," he replied with confidence, "I'd expect as much."

"You realize you're in a restricted military zone, don't you?"

Lynn shook his head. "I thought you'd surrendered it to the Malcontent. My comrades and I risked the danger...we hoped we could find some supplies for the peace corps." He nodded his head at the fallen soldiers. "But you seem to have killed them."

"Let's not forget who shot first!" said Martinez. "Now throw down your weapon and surrender, or I'll pull this trigger again!"

Lynn rolled his eyes. "If you'd only give peace a chance. We'd all be so much happier..."

He fired a shot from his blaster rifle. A charged ball of energy bounced off the wall, and seared into Martinez' arm. Joons returned fire but his shot was wide. Lynn Kyle kicked down the door and ran out, shooting random blasts behind him as he went.

Martinez screamed in pain and collapsed against the wall. "Aughh! Oh God it _burns!"_

Joons looked to the door and to Lynn's disappearing silhouette. He stayed put, reaching for his radio. But a piece of metal from the window had jammed through the device.

The south entrance to the Main Complex stood before Rick and his party. The computer terminal was still running, but the bars that ran across the door were melted together by blaster fire.

"It might not open," said Rick. "But let's give it a try."

Lisa stepped up and entered her security code. The computer denied her. She gasped, and tried the code again. Another denial.

"Step aside," said Eo. He turned his head toward the computer screen. Thin cables protruded from the eye slits in his helmet, and snaked their way into the console. The computer granted access, and the bars gave way, letting the doors open halfway.

Lisa breathed a cry of shock, as Eo retracted the cables back into his eyes. Rick felt just as terrified by the creaure. But trying to comfort Lisa would only make her more resolute, he thought. The best he could do was step in front of her, and let Eo Prime lead the way.

They entered the compound in silence. A horrid display waited inside. Bodies of RDF officers lay in the blood-stained corridors. Broken, mutilated, and impaled on cracked pipelines; their faces lay frozen in cold terror. The atmosphere reeked of spilled blood.

Rick grabbed Lisa and pressed her against the wall beside the door. He looked straight through her helmet and into her terrified eyes.

"Lisa...this has to stop! You're not going any further. I can't put you through this. I know you're afraid...I'm afraid too...but I can do this on my own."

She tried to still her quivering lips. Her hands grasped Rick's arms, and she pulled them away. "D-don't..._touch _me. I'm...n-not leaving you!"

"Fine!" Rick said, and reached for her hand. "We're leaving together. I'll take you back."

She pulled her hand away. "Take... take me back! Back.. _t-to what? _To Sever? To the towers...that all look the same? To the Veritechs...and the dead friends...and the _nightmares..."_

Lisa's eyes shook with hysteria. She stared past Rick's face, to the hulking figure of Eo Prime. He stood behind Rick and looked down at her silently. Through the slits in his helmet, she could see the wires and cables snaking past each other.

She let forth an agonizing scream. Rick reached to catch her, but she fell hard against the wall. Her helmet's glass cracked open.

"There's nowhere to go!" she cried. "Nowhere! It finds us...w-we can't escape! Never escape!"

She lunged forward and knocked Rick over. Her steps echoed through the halls, as she ran through the gauntlet of bodies and disappeared in the shadows.

Before Rick could stand, Eo Prime was already following her. He weaved through the maze of broken steel and concrete, slinging his weapon over his back and clawing at the exposed wiring. Bloody officers hung from the ceiling; he rolled under them without a look back.

Rick tried his best to catch up. His mind raced in panic as he climbed into the mess of rubble and corpses. _Oh God...oh, Lisa..._

Lisa fell to the ground, exhausted. The base's Main Terminal lay all around her. The computers were demolished. A fire was spreading through the room, igniting the screens in the far corner. Bullet holes covered the walls, and broken glass littered the floor. Human and Zentraedi corpses were fallen from the battle.

Lisa's eyes raced over the terminal. One computer was untouched. She stumbled up from the floor and reached desparately for the controls. A dead officer was seated before them; she threw his body aside.

The power was cut. No response came from the computer. Lisa cried terribly and threw the keyboard aside.

A hand gripped her leg tightly. She howled madly and fell against the floor. A Zentraedi soldier rose up before her, dreadfully wounded. His torn body dripped blood, and he shouted in a frenzy of pain. The soldier raise his combat knife.

The armored body of Eo Prime stepped in the way. The knife skidded off his chest without harm. Eo's hand retracted into his armor, and a double-bladed axe unfolded in its place. As he lifted his arm high, the weapon spun like a razorblade and emitted a mechanical hum.

Eo swung down his arm, and scattered the Zentraedi to all corners of the room.

Lisa convulsed in terror. Her screams shook the glass in her helmet. She reached to hide her eyes from the sight of Eo Prime, as he bent over her, with his blood-soaked axe still twirling in place.

Rick shoved him aside, and fell on the floor beside her. He wrapped her against his body, shielding her face with his breastplate. His hands shook, as he struggled to keep her armored body close to him.

She looked up, with faltering, distant eyes. Tears ran across her face. She sighed wearily, and fainted into his arms.

The entrance to Building E-5 broke down. Michael Joons emerged from inside, with Dan Martinez close behind. A bloody bandage was wrapped around Martinez' whole arm. He gritted his teeth and tried to keep up.

"Come on!" said Joons. "We can radio Commander Hunter from the TC-1!"

Martinez grimaced and sped up. "Dammit...the _hell..._did you _miss him _for?"

They stopped amid the landing strip. The pain was weakening Martinez, and the TC-1 and Veritechs were a far distance away. Joons spotted the three camoflauged fighters and the bulky transport, and a figure walking towards the TC-1. He tried to flag the man down, but there was no response.

"Hey..." Martinez wheezed. "Where's...that _freak's_ Veritech?"

Joons looked again. The VF-1X was gone.

He heard the dull crunch of metal behind him. Spinning about, he brought up his rifle. But the noise had come from Eo Prime, hacking his way through a locked door with a spinning blade on his arm. The weapon disappeared as Eo stepped outside. He pulled up his assault rifle and checked the premises, then waved at Joons.

Rick climbed out of the Main Terminal building, behind Eo. His legs were painted with dried blood, and he cradled Lisa, motionless in his arms.

Joons let down his rifle. He was speechless. But Eo gave a silent thumbs-up, allaying his fears.

It took some time for Rick to reach Joons' position. He struggled under the weight of Lisa's armored body, but refused to stop, or take help from Eo. The monstrous Zentraedi walked solemnly at his side.

When they grew close, Joons ran out and saluted to Rick. "Sir, I'm sorry, sir! My radio went dead..."

Rick passed silently by. His eyes remained cast upon Lisa's still body.

Eo pulled Joons aside. "Commander Hayes is alive," he said. "She is physically sound...but something has caused an undetectable wound upon her. Commander Hunter would not describe the matter in detail. He only stated that we must leave immediately. I fear that Commander Hunter has been wounded as well."

Joons nodded, and pointed at Martinez, who sat in pain on the cracked landing strip. "He's been shot in the arm. It was an energy rifle... he's gonna need a medic."

"Understood," said Eo. "We will call for assistance when we reach the transports."

Martinez gasped. "Joons!" he shouted, pointing with his good arm. "That guy...by the fighters...it's Lynn!"

An aircraft hangar exploded beside the Veritech group. From within the flames, a damaged Zentraedi battle pod stomped forth, blasting the surroundings with its head-mounted lasers. The un-manned Veritechs were quickly decimated. But the TC-1 transport was not fired upon. It launched off the ground and into the sky.

The battle pod stood high above the landing strip. It pounded toward Rick and his friends in a mad frenzy, melting giant laser holes in the ground around them. Joons, Eo, and Martinez quickly looked around, but there was no place to run for cover.

The battle pod stopped before Rick. He froze still and raised his eyes to the enormous machine. He swallowed dryly, and held Lisa closer. The pod focused its guns.

The air above cracked with a sonic boom. From above the clouds, the VF-1X dove sharply at the landing strip. Its shape altered as it fell, extending robotic arms and legs, folding the fuselage in half. Its wings locked together and slid away. And in the form of a Battloid soldier, the mighty black Veritech touched the ground.

It knelt over Rick and Lisa , shielding them as the pod fired down. The lasers deflected off of the powerful steel arms. The VF-1X quickly stood and pounded its fist through the battle pod's hard steel surface. The Battloid's hand ripped out a chunk of wires and gears.

The battle pod stumbled backward and fell with a thunderous crash. It tried to stand again, but the VF-1X kicked it back down. The Battloid cocked its gunpod, and blasted a roaring barrage of gunshots into the Zentraedi war machine. The pod was reduced to a mess of smoldering steel.

Eo stepped into the clearing, and his Veritech turned, and looked down at him. His shining helmet split into pieces, and they folded down into the armor around his neck. Eo's pale face widened into a smile, and his cold eyes returned the Veritech's stare.

"Thank you, Brother," he said.


	11. Down to Earth

Chapter 11

A young lady, dressed in a professional business suit, sat behind the Macross Channel 5 desk amid her newscast. She shuffled the papers casually before her, pausing dramatically between stories.

"And now, for today's top story. Early this morning, RDF military officials returned to New Macross' own Echo Base, in hopes of rebuilding after the supposed Zentraedi attack weeks ago. The reconstruction, led by Admiral Jameson Reave of the _G.S.S. Ultimatum, _is scheduled to take many months to complete. Many political officials, including Mayor Saul himself, applaud the RDF for making a quick recovery.

"And in related news, New Macross is preparing for a special RDF Air Show at the end of this month. Held at Macross International Airport, the presentation will showcase some of the RDF's newest and finest technologies, as well as veteran planes of battles past. The airshow's announcement is receiving mixed reviews. Many anti-military activists are stepping up against it. The outspoken Lynn Kyle of the Freedom Cross challenged it publically this morning, calling the show a 'shameless attempt at restoring military power in New Macross.' But most of the city seems to welcome our flyboys, and we look forward to a great show. Now, let's go to..."

Allan Sever switched off the television in his cell. He tossed the remote control across the room.

"Let's go to hell," he said. "Every one of us."

The prison warden stepped up to the bars. "Sever!" he called. "You've got a visitor."

Sever looked up. Next to the warden stood Lynn Kyle, looking proudly down with his arms folded. He nodded his head at the former admiral. Sever sat up as the bars swung open.

Lynn Kyle waited for the warden to leave. "Fine mess you've gotten yourself into," he said, straightening his suit jacket. "The lust for power is a dangerous thing."

"If you came to patronize me," replied Sever, "you may find yourself leaving with a broken face." 

Lynn glanced down at the thin prisoner. "You're hardly the man to cash that check. But luckily for you, I'm here to offer you some help."

Sever nodded his head with manevolence. "I know _exactly_ why you're here."

"Oh, you do? Well, try me, then."

"Very well." Sever stood up, and stretched casually. "The attack on Echo Base wasn't Zentraedi. It was you and the Freedom Cross. _You _slaughtered them all, and covered the whole thing up. But you couldn't find what you came looking for. And you want _me _to find it _for _you." He leaned back on the opposing wall, imitating Lynn Kyle. "How am I doing so far?"

Lynn was visibly surprised. "Interesting," he said. "Then I'm sure you've passed judgement on me already. I'm not going to deny it...men were killed at the hand of Freedom Cross. But our motives are worth fighting for..."

Sever waved at him in disgust. "I don't care what your _motives _are. I don't care who lives and dies. I don't care about _you _and your Freedom Cross. I pledge allegiance to no one but _myself _from here on."

"That may be wise," said Lynn. "In a world like ours, survival is priority one. But with a little help from the Cross, you could be provided with so much more."

"Just get me out of here," Sever replied, disinterested. "I'll pave my own way, just as I always have. Now what do you want?"

Lynn Kyle grinned, and his dark eyes grew thin. "I want you to find me a Veritech," he said.

Minmei, baby! We're talking solid gold! It's the perfect pitch for the new single!"

Lynn Minmei sat in a lavish Macross apartment, in front of a blazing fireplace. Fancy artworks and photographs were set on the hearth above. She stared at each one, deep in thought, as she held a cordless telephone to her ear.

"Randy...it's so sudden!" she said. "I can't just agree to a concert in less than a month! I haven't even been practicing the song for a live performance, and I'm shooting the video next week...when will I have time to get ready?"

"Aw, we'll figure that out later!" came her agent's voice. "Really, hon! I think you can do this! Everybody in Macross is talking about the Air Show! And if you sang 'On Wings of Steel' at the show...man, it's just perfect!"

She took a deep breath, and rubbed her eyes. "Well...alright, Randy, tell 'ya what. Let's go back into the studio tomorrow and see how I sound. If they think I can do it...I guess I'll take the show."

"That's great! I tell you, this new album's gonna be a _huge _hit!"

Minmei said her goodbyes to the agent, and clicked off the phone. With a tired sigh, she threw it on the couch behind her.

She leaned against the sofa and looked around the room. The gold record hanging on her wall shined proudly. The clean surfaces of her modern kitchen gave off a sharp polish. Her bigscreen television was dormant, but the fireplace reflected in its screen.

Minmei gave a shaky smile. "It's what I wanted," she said quietly. "What was important...my career...my future..."

On her fireplace mantle, a small snapshot of Rick Hunter was set in a beautiful frame. He leaned against the engine of his famous red-striped Veritech, dressed in casual officer's clothing. He waved and smiled brightly, his face partially hidden behind his wavy brown hair.

She dropped her eyes from the picture. "Oh, I was so wrong..."

Joons unbuckled his harnass. He made sure his weapons were disarmed and his instruments off, and finally punched the canopy button.

As the glass lifted away, a cheering roar filled his ears. The airstrip was filling with a crowd of ecstatic citizens. They ran straight for Joons' Veritech. A police blockade held them off at a safe distance.

Joons looked to his right, where Martinez' fighter was parked beside him. Both pilots put their helmets back on.

"What the heck is going on?" Joons laughed into his radio.

"I have no idea," replied Martinez. "But I like it!"

"Roger that!"

Joons pulled his helmet back off, and sat down on the edge of his cockpit. A tall, proud-looking old man was escorted by police through the crowd. He stopped under Joons' plane.

The man attempted a salute; it was laughable. "Greetings, soldiers!" he called out. "I'm Mayor Saul! Welcome to New Macross!"

Joons returned the salute. "Thank you, sir! Please keep these people away from the Veritechs. The engines are still hot."

Martinez stepped under the Veritech's nose. "Always business, this guy," he said to the mayor. "But I'll take a little fan appreciation any day! Lieutenant Dan Martinez, at-cher service."

"Good to have you boys around!" said the Mayor. "As you can see, New Macross loves its RDF!"

Joons slid down his ladder. "Lieutenant Michael Joons," he said formally. "We weren't expecting a reception, sir. We'd have given them a little show if we'd known."

"Oh, this?" said Mayor Saul, waving back at the screaming crowd. "I had nothing to do with it! They just knew you were coming, that's all! Like I said, this city really appreciates what you're doing up there!"

"Mmm." Joons looked out over the crowd. "This much of it, anyway. Has Commander Hunter arrived yet?"

"Sure has! He didn't come in a Veritech, though. He insisted that he fly with Commander Hayes. They arrived about a week early for reasons undisclosed."

Martinez stopped waving at the crowd for a moment. "Wait...he didn't fly a VF-1?"

"That's right," said the mayor. "They came on a TC-1."

"How's he going to fly, then?" asked Joons. "I thought we were all flying Valkyries."

Mayor Saul smiled. "Oh, you are. And that's where you'll be pleasantly surprised. We're supplying your planes _for _you!"

Martinez rolled his eyes. "Oh great," he sighed. "Listen, Mister Mayor. With all due respect, our mechanics have been working on these Valks for years, and I don't think we're going to..."

The police barrier broke away, and the crowd flushed in toward Joons and Martinez. The pilots were quickly surrounded by screaming young fans.

Joons smiled bashfully as a group of young ladies reached to touch him. "Uh...hi there! Yes, nice to meet you..."

The mayor patted Joons' shoulder. "We'll talk about it later!" he laughed, as police escorted him away. "Good luck, kids!"

Martinez turned to Joons. "Man!" he shouted excitedly. "I feel like a rock star! I wish we could get this treatment _all _the time!" He winced painfully, and looked down at one of the girls beside him. "Whoa now! Watch the arm, baby! It's a little tender..."


	12. Welcome Home

_a/n:_

_Thanks again for reading. I apologize for the passage of time between the last two updates. I've been pressed for time lately and it's been tough to get the ol' creativity going. I'll try to stay regular with the updates nonetheless._

_A couple of interesting issues were brought up in the last review. The first was regarding the VF-1J's head lasers. I completely dropped the ball on that one. You're right, the VF-1J only has two lasers. I'm sure Roy's ghost is going to haunt me now..._

_The other comment had to do with Rick flying a VF-1A. That's also true; Rick never flew the low-end Veritech, since he started with the VF-1D and went to the VF-1J from there. But I switched Rick's Veritech, as well as his crew members, on purpose to reflect the circumstances of the story. I think the passage of time and the effects of battle in the Reconstruction Era should reflect some changes. I've tried to keep these changes minimal and accurate (even though they're speculation). But since nobody really knows what happened before Sentinels, I guess there's no real right or wrong._

Chapter 12

Rick's apartment was exactly as he had left it. Which was, surprisingly, very neat and tidy. His living room, kitchen, and even bedroom were nicely organized. But his refrigerator was empty as always. And Rick's long absence from the place had allowed a bit of dust to accumulate.

Lisa wiped the kitchen counter with a clean rag. She gave a troubled sigh as its surface gleamed, and reflected back an image of her face.

_"I'm sorry, Rick...I just can't handle this! Living like this...it's terrible! It's killing both of us, and I just can't stand it!"_

She had spoken those words a few days ago, in the cold confines of a hospital bed. The pale, lifeless colors, the mechanical monitors, and the all-present scent of sterility were enough to drive her mad. And they only proved her case.

But Rick had been at her side constantly. He slept at her bedside in the _Ultimatum's _sickbay. And when Rick was given leave to New Macross, he convinced Breetai and Reeve that she was well enough travel with him. He spent the days and nights with her at the hospital. And it was Rick's petition that allowed Lisa to go home early.

_I don't want him to feel bad, _she thought, leaning with her shoulders on the counter. _It's not his fault...and I'm sure he's suffering as much as I am. He shouldn't feel sorry for me..._

She pulled a chair up to the counter, and sat down. _Besides... I want more than just his pity..._

The front door unlocked and Rick stepped in. He carefully balanced a pair of grocery sacks under his arms. "Hey, Lisa!" he smiled. "I'm back! This should fill up the fridge for a while."

He set the bags down on the counter, and gave Lisa a hug. "I thought you'd need some extra rest," he said. "You didn't fall asleep until early this morning."

"Mm-hmm," smiled Lisa, trying to push the dust rag out of sight. "Thanks for staying up with me."

"Oh, don't mention..._wait _a minute..." Rick pointed at the cloth in her hand. "Are you cleaning my place again?"

"Hmm? Oh! Well, I guess. Just a little dusting, that's all."

Rick shook his head. "Aw, you shouldn't have to do that. I mean, I appreciate it and all! The place looks terriffic. But you're on vacation, you know?"

"I know," Lisa replied bashfully. "Sorry...it sort of...helps take my mind off things. It keeps me busy."

"Oh, well...go right ahead!" shrugged Rick. He began pulling some groceries from the bags. "Just make yourself comfortable. I'll give you a hand in a second."

_He noticed, _Lisa sighed inwardly. _If only he knew how much that means to me..._

Rick pulled at his shirt collar nervously and dug through the grocery bag again. "Oh, that's right!" he exclaimed, triumphantly breaking the silence. "I stopped at your landlord's place today."

"Oh!" said Lisa. "How did that go?"

"Uhmm..." Rick raised his eyes to her. "Unpleasantly. I guess he's still a little sore at you for missing the rent."

Lisa sighed. "I was orbiting the _planet_, for goodness sake! What more of an excuse does he want?"

"I know, I know," Rick waved. "He's a loser. I did everything I could, though. Talked with him until he kicked me out. He wouldn't even take double the next month's rent, in advance! Can you believe that?"

"Gosh, that's just -- " Lisa raised her eyes. "You were going to pay my rent?" she smiled.

Rick cleared his throat and looked around. "Well...you needed a place, and I wasn't about to walk _away _from the guy..."

She blushed and smiled. "Thanks, Rick." Her hand slid the rag across the clean counter. "So...I guess I'm homeless, huh?" she laughed.

"Oh _no, _you're not!" replied Rick, setting a jar of pickles firmly on the counter. "Don't even worry about it. You're on vacation, so just let me take care of it. You could even stay here if you want."

Lisa blushed even deeper.

Rick let his words catch up to him. "_But,_" he quickly added, turning a little red himself. "You deserve a place of your own. I can take a ride through Macross and see what's available. You'll be in an apartment in no time."

"That...means a lot, Rick," Lisa smiled. "But really, you don't have to. I'd feel guilty, just sitting here while you drove all over Macross..."

He pulled up a chair, and sat down beside her. "Would you like to come with me? I hear the apartments are great downtown. We could spend an hour or two looking, have something to eat, maybe do a little shopping. What do you think?"

Lisa wiped a tear off her cheek. "Rick..." she sighed, "that sounds wonderful."

"Is everything all right?" he asked her, and placed his hand on her shoulder. Lisa drew close and kissed his cheek.

"Everything's all right," she whispered.

They picked up their coats and left the apartment, hand-in-hand. But not a minute passed, and the door swung back open. Rick and Lisa ran back in, stepping over each other in laughter.

"I'll put the groceries away!" said Rick.

"I'll turn the lights off!" Lisa replied.


	13. Photographs

Chapter 13

Michael Joons looked out the window with little interest, as his cab pulled up to a small complex of apartments in downtown New Macross. He tipped the driver sufficiently and stepped onto the fresh sidewalk.

He was still unsure how to react to the newfound attention. All it took was an RDF uniform to garner all sorts of pleasant company. He had made sure that his jogging outfit was void of RDF logos, just in case.

But he knew there was more to New Macross; a dark side of the city that was none too fond of the military. It was a side that Michael knew well, and wished he could live without.

_The Cross, _he thought. _It's here somewhere. It's always hiding, just well enough for us to second-guess its presence. And Lynn is waiting, and planning something big and terrible for us all._

Michael shook his head as the morning wind blew at his jacket. He stared up at the brand new skyscrapers surrounding Macross Square. And a few blocks down First Street, where the dome-shaped Fortress Amphitheater would soon have its grand opening.

_They're not watching him...they're not looking for him. Nobody's taking Lynn Kyle seriously. But he's more of a threat than any Malcontent force. He manipulates people by the thousands...he builds armies around his lies. He knows exactly what he wants, and he gets it every time._

Michael's eyes looked up to the sky, where a patrolling Veritech came into view between two buildings.

_It's just a question of what he wants next, _he thought. _But whatever it is, I'm not letting him take it._

The door to Martinez' single-floor apartment swung quickly open. Michael turned, expecting his fellow pilot at the doorstep. But a beautiful, blonde-haired young lady bounced lightly down the steps instead.

Michael nodded solemnly as she stepped by. She stopped, looked him over, and poked his nose.

"You're cute!" she purred, and walked on.

Michael frowned as he stepped up to the front door. Dan Martinez came bolting through the entrance, and nearly collided with him. Martinez quickly shoved Michael aside.

"Call me!" he shouted. The young lady turned and gave him a fetching wave, as another taxi pulled up to take her away.

Michael gathered himself up from the ground. He straightened his jacket and stared accusingly.

"What?" shrugged Martinez.

Michael shook his head and turned away. "I think I could've done without that," he said, returning to the sidewalk.

Martinez laughed. "You're just jealous, kiddo!"

"Whatever," said Michael. He began down the street.

"Hey, where ya going? I'll be ready in a second!"

"I'm not in the mood for this," Michael replied.

"Man, what is your problem?"

Michael thinned his eyes. "Next time, tell her to take a picture. RDF pilots last longer that way."

He stepped into the street by himself and began to jog off, leaving Dan Martinez where he was. The disgust within him was fuel enough to take on the world. _Let him go. He's a mockery...he's a disgrace, making a novelty out of what we stand for..._

A long, white limousine passed by him. The windows were blacked out, and Michael could not see who the celebrity was. But he could not have cared less.

Michael's anger grew deeper. _I'll be flying for them, _he thought, _all of them. Saving them from the Malcontent, and the Freedom Cross...and the occasional psycho RDF leader. And after all that, they'll whine and moan like every ungrageful citizen does, and maybe even kill each other._

_Just keep running, _he thought.

Rick stood at the edge of a fountain pool in a downtown courtyard. The cold autumn winds fell upon him, compounding the weight on his shoulders. He trained his tired eyes on the rippling water below him, hands folded across his long black jacket. 

The waving image of his face returned his stare. He studied himself in silence as the people of Macross passed behind him.

_I'm only human... I wish I was more, but I'm only human. I can't make a difference. I can barely keep myself together anymore._

His mind conjured an image of Eo Prime's hulking steel body. His arm was converted to a spinning battle-axe, painted with new blood. The eyes of his helmet were alive with contorting wires. Standing tall and bearing down, he was a horrid sight. Zentraedi lifeblood dripped from his weapon, and onto the body of Lisa Hayes.

Rick shut his eyes in pain. _Lisa... My Lisa. Mine for now...because she chose me. She saw something in me that she liked. Whatever that was. But she liked it enough to invest everything. Her deepest emotions, her safety and security, her very life. And there's no way I can measure up. I want to hide her away from all this...to give her what she really deserves. Peace, joy...a real relationship. A real love. I'm just not good enough for Lisa Hayes._

The cold numbed at his clenched hands. He rubbed them together, and folded his arms again. 

_ This world isn't good enough for Lisa Hayes._

He felt a gentle touch on his heavy shoulder. It shocked him; the reflection gasped as well. But Rick chuckled at himself. He knew the touch. He lived for it.

"You scared me to death," he laughed, and quickly gathered himself as he turned.

Sure enough, Lisa stood at his side. She cradled a pair of shopping bags in the arms of her jacket. "You looked upset," she said, and smiled with concern and a blink of her bright green eyes. "Is something the matter?"

"Well...I was starting to miss you!" he smiled in return. "You were in there for an awful long time...I was about to send a squadron in after you."

Lisa blushed and giggled. "Oh, Rick!"

""Hey, it's always good to play it safe!" said Rick "Who knows what awful things could've happened to you and my credit card!" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she laughed, and they walked together through the courtyard. "Besides, I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

"Mm-hmm!" Lisa nodded. "Next time you're trapped in a lingerie shop, I'll call for support immediately!"

They sat at a parkbench in front of the fountain, with a beautiful view of New Macross' skyscraper-laiden downtown. Lisa set the bags down beside the bench. She wrapped her arms around Rick's waist, and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks for being so patient," she said.

"My pleasure," said Rick. "I'm having a great time."

Lisa grinned. "Heh-heh, _sure _you are. Apartment hunting and shopping for womens' clothing. You must be having a blast."

"No really, this is fun! Looking at apartments wasn't so bad." He leaned down to her, and looked dramatically back and forth. "And just between you and me... I shop for womens' clothing all the time."

Lisa shoved him in laughter. "Rick, you're too much!"

He failed to keep a straight face. "I'm _very _glad you knew I was joking," he smiled along. "I was a little nervous about that one."

"Oh, I think I know you a _little _better than that." Lisa sat back, and dabbed at her eyes. "This might sound rediculous, but I can't remember the last time I had this much fun with someone."

"I'm glad," said Rick. "I know I'm not the coolest guy in the world... but at least I haven't tripped on anything yet."

Lisa hugged him closely. "Aw, don't be so hard on yourself! I think you're wonderful."

Rick smiled and nodded. _Wonderful, _he thought, shaking his head with a burden on his shoulders.

She looked up, and gradually met his eyes with careful affection. "You know, Rick," she said quietly. "Sometimes...you almost remind me of Roy Fokker."

He nearly gasped again. "What? I...I do?"

Lisa nodded. "You're smart, confident, experienced... people admire you very much."

Rick was dumbfounded. _Roy? There's no way I could stand up to him!_

"And when you're around, people seem to... well, to feel encouraged. I know that's true for _me_, anyhow. You make me feel... well, like I'm someone special."

_But...Lisa! You are someone special! I'd be nothing without you! I just...don't know how to say it..._

Lisa was still looking into his blank stare. "But you're all those things in your own way. No matter what happens, you're always Rick Hunter...and I can always count on you. I'm so glad of that...and you should be so proud of yourself..."

She looked away, and rubbed at the tears on her cheeks. "Oh well, I'm done ranting now, I guess..."

Rick touched her face, and found the courage to bring her close. He felt the autumn wind begin to ease.

"Lisa," he whispered. His voice was clearer than even he expected. "That means the world to me."

They held each other close, and sat in silence. The cold no longer held its bite, and the commotion of citizens passing through the shopping center was no distraction. But an awful, robotic droll did manage to break the silence, and catch both of their ears.

"Photographs. Instant photographs. Have your photograph taken in the beautiful Macross Metro Courtyard. Blemish removal is available at no extra charge. Instant photographs taken here."

"Hey!" exclaimed Rick. He stood up and waved in the direction of the voice. Down the courtyard's pathway, a squarish-looking robot with antennae rolled around, peddling instant pictures. The robot did not seem to have eyes, but it saw Rick nonetheless and bumped along to meet them.

Rick sat back down. "Can I have our picture taken together?" he asked Lisa.

"Of course!" she smiled excitedly. "Only if I can have a copy."

The little robot took its time, and rudely enough, it asked other shoppers for business on its way to Rick. But it finally stopped in front of the bench and wiggled its antennae.

"Would you like an instant photograph?" the robot asked, with a tinny voice.

Rick nodded. "Yes please," he said proudly.

"Would you like a blemish removal at no extra charge?"

"What? No, of course not."

"Blemish removal is free, by the way."

"I know," said Rick, "but we don't _need _it."

"Your hair seems to be lop-sided. Blemish removal will correct your bad hair."

"Hey now!" Rick put his hands on his hips. "My hair is _not _lopsided. It's fine!" He turned to Lisa. "Is my hair lopsided?"

Lisa winced. "Well...no, it's just...a little longer on the right side. You know, right there in the front."

Rick blinked stoically.

"Would you like a blemish removal?" the robot asked again.

"No!" said Rick.

A flash bulb raised out of the robot's top end, and it popped a bright light in their eyes. An instant picture spit out of a slot in the front, and landed on the ground at their feet. It showed Rick staring emotionlessly at the camera, and Lisa with a little smile.

"Thank you, that will be five dollars," said the robot.

"What?" Rick said angrily. "Wait a minute, we weren't ready!"

"Would you like another one?" it asked.

"Yes, of course we..."

_Flash! _Another photo was taken and spit out. This time, Rick was visibly mad, and Lisa seemed a bit confused.

"Thank you, that will be ten dollars," said the robot.

"Quit it!" shouted Rick, standing up.

_Flash! _The robot took another picture. Rick was pointing at the camera in anger. Lisa was leaning into the picture from behind him, slapping her knee in laughter.

"Okay, I didn't even _ask _for that one!" Rick shouted.

"I apologize," said the robot. "That will be fifteen dollars."

"_What?!_" Rick growled, turning red. Lisa was rolling on the bench, trying to catch her breath.

A door opened on the robot's square body, and a small claw appeared. "Will that be cash or credit card?" it asked.

Rick was ready to kick the little photographer. "Neither! You haven't even shot a decent picture yet!"

"Would you like another one?"

Lisa jumped up, still laughing, and covered Rick's mouth with both hands. "Wait!" she said, and turned to the robot. "Okay, whew...here's how we'll do this. We're going to sit on the bench, and when we say 'cheese,' you take the next picture. Then we'll pay you."

"Agreed," said the robot. Miraculously, it sat still, and gave Rick and Lisa time to prepare.

Lisa pulled Rick back onto the bench. He was still sore at the confused little machine. "The nerve of that thing!" he said.

She pulled him close, and kissed his lips, scattering away his bad mood. "Let's make this one last," she smiled.

He returned her kiss, and nodded solemnly. "Here's hoping," he said. He breathed deeply, and took her hand inside his.

"Cheese!" said Lisa. She quickly scooted against him, and cuddled close with a bright smile on her face. The flash went triumphantly off, and a perfect photograph spat onto the ground. Rick and Lisa sighed with relief.

The robot extended its claw again. "Thank you, that will be twenty-five dollars," it said.

"Oh, all right..." Rick began. "Wait...how come it's _twenty-five?"_

"Tip," said the robot.

Rick chased the mechanized photographer across the courtyard. Lisa followed close behind. Both of them had every intent of throwing the robot in the fountain.


	14. Unearthing the Past

Chapter 14

Breetai did not look back as the security doors shut behind him. His mechanical eye analyzed the instrumentation that adorned the walls around him. Officers working at computer terminals looked up and quickly saluted him. They were silent, and Breetai did not address them. His thoughts were on more pressing matters.

One of the officers punched in a security code, and Breetai was allowed into the central chamber of Eo Prime. The complex machinery that filled the space was alive and active. Wires and cables tangled around the floor in a mess. RDF scientists ran through it as quickly as they could, going from device to device and taking complicated notes.

Eo Prime lay on his gourney, locked where he was by clasps around his legs and waist. Cables ran from the sockets of his eyes to nearby machines, as they had before. But his rubber flight suit was peeled back from his head. His skull was made up of steel plates, covered with points of insertion for more interface cables. Most of these hardpoints were filled, and scientists checked their connection as Breetai approached.

Doctor Lang was among the crowd of men inside the chamber. "We are almost ready," he said, too deep in his work to bother with a salute.

"I still question this method's practicality," said Breetai. "But we have exhausted every other option."

Lang stepped away from Eo Prime's body. "I assure you, sir, there is minimal risk involved. Eo uses a sort of telepathic interface with his fighter, so it makes sense to use a similar method to gain information ourselves. Eo won't feel a thing."

"I am concerned with the safety of these men," replied Breetai, waving his arm around the chamber. "We know too little of this soldier to experiment in such a manner. The mind is a powerful thing, Doctor."

"It might seem risky," said Lang. "But we have everything under control."

The voice of Eo Prime suddenly boomed throughout the chamber. "Have no fear, Admiral," it said.

Breetai looked down at the soldier's body. It had not moved.

"I am connected to the neural-net of this complex," said Prime's voice. "Just as I connect with Brother. Doctor Lang is correct."

Lang stepped confidently away, and pulled another scientist aside. "This isn't supposed to be happening," Breetai heard him say.

"Were you expecting different results?" asked Eo's voice.

The doctor shot a surprised glance at Breetai. "Um...all right, we're beginning the neural transcription now. This shouldn't take long, Eo. Please cooperate to the fullest."

The scientists activated a series of machines, and the wires attached to Eo Prime's head began to glow. Breetai approached the doctor carefully. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"As I said before, sir," replied Lang. "We're requesting information via neural net. The computers will sort through each random thought that crosses Eo's mind, and hopefully piece together a logical..."

Eo's arms suddenly broke free. His robotic hands slid away, and swarms of cables reached out for nearby machines. Lang's co-workers dodged away from them, as they attached and overtook the machines.

"Everyone out!" shouted Breetai. "Now!"

The scientists quickly obliged, but Lang stayed where he was. "Wait," he said. "There must be an explanation for this..."

"You wish to see my home," said Eo Prime's voice.

The machines surrounding Eo's body glowed with eerie translucence. Beams of light seared into the air, and crossed in the center of the chamber. Within the bright flash, an image was displayed. A dark hallway, lined with decaying metal pipes and doorways long rusted shut.

The image began to distort, and it slowly dissipated into glowing haze. But another one quickly flashed in its place. A depiction of giant video screens, their surfaces shattered and clouded by dust. Glass littering the floor around a long command desk. And a small, circular computer system, covered in dry blood, with a cracked orb in its center.

"My God," Lang whispered. "It can't be!"

Breetai glanced at Lang. "Doctor?"

"I know that place...it's my pinpoint barrier."

Another vision appeared. An old metal doorway, just smaller than average, rusted to its frame. A skeletal hand, Eo Prime's hand, scratched at the rust, and it flaked away. A faded inscription appeared under the discolored surface.

_MAIN BRIDGE  
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY_

"I don't believe it!" cried the doctor. Breetai thinned his eyes intently.

Eo Prime's hand smashed through the weak old door, and ripped it off the hinges. The walls inside were black as night. They shined like glass, melted by some intense heat. Streaks of once-liquified metal ran down the walls, and formed cave-like stalactites from the ceiling. The remains of command terminals were now unrecognizable heaps of metal fused to the floor.

A gaping hole was ripped into the far wall. A city lay below, perhaps hundreds of feet, obscured by clouds that whisped about. In the center of the room, gleaming brightly from the sunlight, was a small plaque of gold and marble. Eo's hand grasped the plaque, tore the top half off, and turned it around.

_In Memory  
of the Men and Women  
Whose Lives Were Sacrificed  
For the Survival  
of This World_

The plaque exploded into pieces. In the huge opening of the far wall, a military helicopter was hovering with its nose facing inside. A chaingun was spinning, belching fire and throwing empty shell casings. A storm of bullets rained in. The vision began to shake.

Eo Prime's body thrusted forward. The clasps broke off and he rolled onto his feet, still attached to the machines. His hands slid back into place and the wires in his eyes began to retract. A furious roar came from deep within his throat, distorted and computerized. The vision above him imploded away.

He reached in blind fury and smashed through the nearby machinery. The ends of the interface cables slid into his empty eye sockets, and two dilated pupils rolled into place. They focused immediately upon Doctor Lang.

The skeletal hand clawed out for the doctor. But the hand of Breetai caught it and threw it aside. The giant Zentraedi stepped into the way, and bore down with a threatening stare. Eo's arms broke apart and began conversions into some horrible weapon. 

Breetai grabbed the soldier by the face. He pulled a sharp Zentraedi battle knife from his shining armor, and cut off the wires that ran to Eo Prime's skull. The monstrous hybrid soldier fell silent, and his arms fell to their sides, as contortions of metal and flesh caught between forms.

Carefully letting go of Eo's face, Breetai stepped back. Eo Prime stared without expression at the men before him, and then at the twisted steel of his arms.

Breetai turned back to the stunned doctor."You have your answer," he said coldly. "But from now on, we are changing our approach to this matter."

It was a quiet drive through the Macross International Airport. Michael Joons and Dan Martinez sat in the back of a small electric car that scooted them along the airstrip. Signs of the RDF were present everywhere; the airport was like a fortress. Fully armed soldiers rolled from hangar to hangar, on humvees with anti-mecha cannons. Rows of tanks lay dormant, guarded by Tomahawk destroids.

_Lynn Kyle may have been right,_ thought Michael. _In part, at least. There's enough firepower here to bring down a city._

Martinez turned and poked Michael in the side. "We shouldn't fight, Joons," he smirked. "It's not good for the kids."

"Whatever," said Joons.

"Come on, man!" Martinez said. "Cheer up a little! This city worships us! Why not have a little fun with it?"

Michael folded his hands. "I have a job to do. I'll relax when it's done."

"Aw, quit with that _soldier's duty_ crap! We've done our job, and now we get a break! Just chill out a little."

"Whatever," repeated Joons.

They rolled into an open hangar, guarded by two destroids. Inside, standing floodlamps cast light on a pair of VF-1J Veritechs. Both craft were bright white, with blue stripes on their wings and fuselage. Every inch of them shined. The access panels on their engines, and the backs and bellies of the craft were open. Mechanics surrounded the Veritechs while supervisors looked on.

The car's driver rolled up to the fighters. "This is it, guys!" he said. "Last stop."

"Whoa!" Martinez laughed. "We get _these?_ It looks like they've never left this hangar!"

"That's not a good thing," said Michael. He looked to the driver. "Where'd these Valks come from?"

"They were brought in from Bravo Base," he replied. "The city has them on loan and we gave them a fresh coat of paint."

Michael stepped up to the shining Robotech fighter, unimpressed. "Have you flown them yet?" he asked.

The driver shook his head. "Well...no, we were waiting for you guys to arrive."

He shook his head. "I hope this is a good idea."

Rick stood quietly before a closed airplane hangar. Military jeeps and small tanks were parked all around it. Manned Destroid robots stood beside the doors, their torsos waving back and forth as they scanned the air for intruders.

Mayor Saul stood proudly beside him. "Thanks for coming on such short notice," he said. "We weren't sure if we'd be able to pull this off. It's an exciting discovery, to say the least."

"I do have a schedule for the day," said Rick, trying to hide his agitation. _And that's putting it lightly,_ he thought. _Lisa's got a whole apartment's worth of stuff to move into her new place! She's gotta get everything moved, or that jerk of a landlord is throwing it all out. I hope I can wrap this up and help her out._

"We'll try to make it quick," the Mayor said. "But I have a feeling you'll want a closer look."

The bay doors slowly opened. Soldiers of the RDF formed a blockade line as the hangar was filled with light. Floodlamps burst on, and armed troopers ran from the stairways inside to guarding positions.

In the center of the hangar lay a VF-1S Veritech fighter. Its fuselage was worn and dented from many battles. The bone-white paint and black striping that ran across its surface was beginning to peel. But the emblem on its flat-black tailfins was still visible: an ominous skull and crossbones.

"I take it you two have met!" the mayor beamed. Rick was speechless.


	15. Progress

Chapter 15

Lisa looked down at the small video monitor before her. "Rick," she said, "you're exhausted. I thought they were giving you a vacation!"

Rick's image looked back at her from the screen. His face was smeared with oil, and his hair was messier than usual. "Well...yeah, I know," he replied. "But the air show's coming up, and I want everything to be perfect. Can't make any mistakes, you know?"

"I guess," sighed Lisa. "But... isn't there anything I can do?"

He smiled. "You'd probably be great down here. But I've got the mechanics helping me. You should keep your mind off work for a while, I think."

Lisa shook her head. She sighed with aggrivation.

"What?" asked Rick. "What's wrong?"

"Rick... how long is this going to take? I mean, really... you haven't called in weeks."

He nodded with downcast eyes. "Yeah, I know... I'm really sorry, but I just can't -- " The sound of crashing metal cut him off and he quickly turned away. "Hey! Watch it, we can't replace that!"

"Rick, what in the world are you _doing _over there?" she asked.

"I... well, I can't tell you. Not yet. But soon, I promise."

She waved her hand at the screen, her face red with frustration. "Nevermind. Just... forget it, don't even bother. I've finally got some time to _relax_, and all I wanted was to spend a litte of it with _you. _But it's quite apparent you've got other plans."

"Lisa, I'm sorry! I..."

"Don't apologize," she stopped him. "Just... do what you want."

Lisa threw herself to her feet, and fought to keep her composure. She grabbed the video monitor to fold it shut.

"Lisa! Wait!"

She flipped the screen back up. "What?!" she cried hoarsely.

Rick hesitated. He blinked and struggled, but finally took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Will you come to the airport tonight? I'll explain it all."

"Wh...what? What do you mean...right _now?_"

"Yeah... it's not that late, is it?"

"It's past midnight," said Lisa.

"Oh," Rick sighed. "All...alright, I'll let you go."

"Wait a minute!" she called in surprise. "I don't _care_ what time it is. I'm going to see this amazing _secret_ of yours."

Rick sighed. "Great! I'll send someone to pick you up. I really am sorry, Lisa... I hope you can understand."

"I hope you've prepared your case," she said with a wry touch to her voice, and closed the monitor.

The airstrip was lit with rolling military spotlights. The blinding lights passed over Lisa's taxi cab many times as it drove along the giant airplane hangars. A tense stillness hung in the air, but she knew it was a deceptive one. Armed soldiers slipped through the darkness, and RDF tanks and destroids were waiting in the shadows between the each complex. She felt as if she and her taxi were on some urban frontline, waiting to be the next casualties in a deadly skirmish.

The car slowed down, and soldiers appeared from the shadows to direct it on. A brilliant flash made Lisa gasp; a humvee was driving alongside her cab, and shining a spotlight into her window.

She was let out in the alleyway between two hangars. Two RDF soldiers walked at her sides, brightening up the pitch darkness with flashlights on their assault rifles. The night wind rattled the hollow sheet-metal structures around her.

The soldiers ushered her into a small doorway, and locked it from the outside. Rick was waiting for her in the office space within, covered with oil stains on his mechanic's jumpsuit. He tried a smile, and a sheepish wave that meant every bit of an apology to her.

Lisa could not help but return a little smile. But she folded her arms and leaned back against the wall. "All right, Rick Hunter," she said. "Now I'm here. Are you going to show me what's been keeping you away for the last few weeks?"

Rick nodded with some confidence. "Yes, yes I am!" He reached out his hand for her. "I was hoping I could finish it first, but I owe it to you. It's... sort of... a surprise for you."

She blinked her eyes in surprise. "...For me?" She slowly took his hand.

"Uh-huh," he replied nervously, and walked her to the far corner of the office. "Now, like I said, it's not exactly how I planned this. But... I haven't been fair to you... and this is something I need to do."

Lisa shook her head as Rick pulled her along. "This was for me?"

They stopped before a closed metal door. Rick inhaled a long breath, and he took both of Lisa's hands in his.

"Do you remember," he asked in earnest, "when I found you at the base in Alaska?"

Lisa swallowed, but her throat was growing dry. "Yes," she said. "Of course I do."

He searched her eyes carefully, and held her hands tighter. "It was a nightmare for me... for both of us. But I wanted you to know something... do you remember what it was?"

She grew nervous from his tense stare. "Yes... I do... you told me that I'd never be alone."

Rick smiled. "Well, I guess this is my way of saying... I remember too."

He swung open the door. The hangar was lit up with borrowed military spotlights, all converging on the middle of the room. A shining Guardian Veritech stood silently, bent forward, as if ready to strike. Its white-painted body was perfectly reconditioned. The glass on its canopy was polished to a shine. An outline of wide adhesive tape was present behind the glass, where a stripe of fresh yellow paint was drying. A majestic pair of wings spread from above the fuselage. The sturdy legs on which the Guardian stood were missing their painted sheet metal, exposing the Veritech's giant engines and hydraulics.

Lisa gasped deeply. She stepped back against the door frame. "Oh, Rick!" she whispered. "You... you built a Skull One! I don't believe it! Is this for the air show?"

Rick smiled, and he shook his head. His eyes were afire with excitement. "Lisa," he said. "That's _it!_"

She brought her hand against her lips. "Oh my gosh..." she breathed. "Rick... it can't be! It just can't!"

He let go of her hands. "I wanted you to see it at the show," he dropped his eyes meekly. "It's not much to look at now...but...I don't know, I guess it was kind of special to me. I thought you might feel the same way."

Lisa's eyes were filled with shining reflections of the craft. Her mind flashed back to better days, when Rick sat in that very cockpit. She watched him from the SDF-1, surrounded by her co-workers and close friends, nervous that something terrible would happen to the heroic pilot. And nervous that they might catch her in a fleeting daydream, distracted from her important duties by the smiling face on her video screen.

She drew a shaking breath. "It's beautiful," she said.

Lynn Kyle watched the night sky, from the top of a tall New Macross building. His eyes focused on a single star, the brightest one.

"Perhaps if things were different," he said to the star. "If the world wasn't so cold. If we didn't have to fight so hard to get what we deserve. Then perhaps we would have been together."

The distant sun grew brilliant. Its light spread out to the surrounding stars. And then it dimmed away, and disappeared from the sky.

Kyle stared silently at the empty void in the heavens.

Jameson Sever approached from behind; Kyle heard him coming. "It took you long enough," he said, with his eyes still on the dark night.

Sever met him at the edge of the roof. His RDF slacks and shirt were scratched and bloodied. A handgun was tucked into his belt. "I killed my guards," he said.

"I free you from prison," said Kyle coldly, "and the first thing you do is kill your parole officers?"

"You didn't leave me much of a choice," replied Sever. "That's what happens when you post _bond _for a convicted _RDF felon."_

Kyle shook his head. "Breaking you out would've been terrible for my public image. There's always the chance I'd get pinned on it."

"So you've got eighty billion dollars to spare, just in case?"

"All you need is a computer and a little time," said Kyle.

Sever looked down at the New Macross skyline. The wasteland of planet Earth was just beyond it, struggling to fight off its damnation.

"So," he said, "I suppose I've got a deal to keep my word on."

"We begin tomorrow," Kyle nodded. "It's imperative that we have the VF-1X immediately."

"Fine," said Sever. "Let's get it over with. But seriously, Lynn, don't you consider yourself a _little _hypocritical?"

For the first time, Kyle lowered his gaze from the sky. His cold eyes turned to Sever. "I beg your pardon."

"Well, come on. You tell the public that the Freedom Cross is anti-militant. A peace organization. And now you're killing RDF soldiers, freeing criminals, and planning to steal weapons of war." Sever grinned. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I'm acting in the defense of the Cross," said Kyle. "A Zentraedi warlord is threatening to attack us. I need the VF-1 for protection."

Sever laughed. "So you're finally getting it, aren't you? Well, congratulations! Looks like you've discovered the _true secret _of Malcontent life! Your stupid organization is just like the military after all, _isn't _it?" He pointed a finger in Kyle's face. "You're all just trying to _survive. _That's what it boils down to, Kyle. There's no _good guys _or _bad guys _out here... it's survival of the fittest!"

Kyle grabbed Sever by the wrist and twisted his arm. Sever flipped backward and landed roughly on the hard concrete. Kyle stepped over him, and placed his boot on the admiral's neck.

"Don't preach to me," he sneered. "This goes deeper than you know."

He lowered his arm at Sever's head. Kyle had stolen the pistol away. But he threw the gun aside, and let go of Sever's neck. "Besides," he said as he walked away. "I'm _fitter _than you."


	16. Headspin

Chapter 16

Rick stood behind a giant mess of microphones, at a podium that was nearly as tall as he was. The seal of New Macross served as his backdrop. He was in his military dress blues, fielding questions from a mob of reporters. The flash bulbs were starting to get to him.

"Commander Hunter! You've often been compared to the late Roy Fokker. What was it like, working with him?"

Rick dwelled on the question for a few seconds. "What was it like," he replied. "Well, I can tell you this. No matter how good you thought you were, Roy was better. I still haven't found a more skilled pilot. I don't think I ever will."

"How about Sterling? Or his wife, the Zentraedi? Don't they stand up?"

Rick laughed. "They're both terrific pilots in their own right. But I think Roy beats us all."

"Is it true that you were also close friends with Fokker?"

"Absolutely," nodded Rick. "We were very close."

A reporter from the _Macross Enquirer _muscled his way to the front. "Commander!" he shouted. " It's reported that your kill count isn't as high as your days on the SDF-1. To what do you attribute that?"

The question startled him; he struggled for an answer. _I don't believe that, _he thought. _These guys look at me like I'm some kind of athlete!_

"Uh, well..." he began. "I'm working with different people now. I'm using different Veritechs and there's a lot of situations we didn't have when we were stationed on the SDF-1. I don't think you can really compare the two."

"Is it true that you haven't had an exclusive fighter since the loss of Skull One?"

Rick perked up even more. "Yes... that's true. We alternate Veritechs, usually." He chuckled a little. "Seems like they take one from me just as I'm getting used to it."

"How long will you continue flying?" asked the reporter.

_Until they kill me, _thought Rick. But he restrained himself and replied, "as long as I can get into a Veritech."

A reporter from a competing gossip paper appeared from the crowd. "Rick!" he called boldly. "When do you find the time for a little fun?"

"...Excuse me?" asked Rick.

"Well, you're barely past your teenage years and you're commanding a Veritech squadron! What does a guy like you do for a good time?"

_Oh no, _thought Rick. _This one's gonna be in the papers. _He thought on the question, longer than he did the others. "Have you ever flown a VF-1?" he replied with little confidence. "I'd say that's pretty fun."

"Aw, but we _know _about all_ that! _What about your time off?"

"What time off?" laughed Rick nervously. "Well, I guess I perform at airshows for New Macross..."

The press laughed, and Rick thought he was out of the woods. But the _Enquirer's _reporter spoke up again. "Rick, isn't it true that you're in a relationship with another SDF-1 officer? Lisa Hayes, isn't it?"

"_Commander _Hayes," Rick corrected him defiantly.

"So it's true then!"

_Geez, who doesn't know about us?! _Rick groaned. His mind raced for an answer, but he spent too much time in thought.

"Come on, boy! It's a 'yes or no' question!"

"Commander Hayes and I are fully deticated to serving the Global Defense!'

The reporter scoffed. "Yeah right, when you're not serving _each other!_"

Rick felt the heat rising on his face; he knew he was blushing.

The meeting room's doors burst open. Michael Joons ran into the room in his full Hawk Squadron jumpsuit, with weapons strapped to his arms and legs. The reporters formed a pathway to the stage.

"That's all for today!" he shouted. "This conference is over! Thank you for coming!"

A photographer shoved a camera in Joons' face. He grabbed it by the lens, threw it down, and smashed it under his feet. "No more pictures, please!" he called without a look back.

Joons met Rick at the podium. "This way, sir!" he said, and escorted him behind the stage to the back door. They stepped into the airport concourse and slammed the door, leaving the confused and excited reporters behind.

"What's going on?" Rick asked, fully alert.

Joons looked both ways, and laughed loudly. "Absolutely nothing! I just saw the press getting touchy and thought I'd wrap things up for ya."

Rick laughed with him, and patted Joons on the shoulder as they started down the concourse. "Thanks, Mike," he sighed. "They were sure having fun with me in there."

"Oh, my pleasure! You know, I've always wanted to do that! How'd you like that camera bit? And the voice, how was the voice!"

"Not bad. You ever consider acting?"

They found a miniature restaurant and bar, next to a departing gate. The travelers ushered out quickly and left the place empty. Rick and Joons had a seat and ordered some drinks.

"You know," said Rick. "I can look a crazed Zentraedi square in the face, but I can't stand up to a reporter."

"Neither could the crazed Zentraedi," chuckled Joons, taking a sip of his drink. "At least it wasn't televised."

Rick nodded wearily and rubbed his face. "Hey, aren't you and Dan supposed to be in the air?"

"Yeah," said Joons. "We can't find Dan anywhere. I went up for about an hour to test my Valk, that's about it."

"I don't believe this," said Rick. "Where does he keep going?"

Joons tipped up his glass. "Probably spending the day at this airhead city girl's apartment," he replied. "He hasn't been focusing that much since he hooked up with her."

"You know this girl?" asked Rick.

"Met her once. She was running to a cab with her shirt on backwards." He signaled for another drink. "It was _magical._"

Rick laughed and picked up his glass. "He'll grow up sooner or later. I flew with someone like Dan once. It takes a little time, but he'll calm down."

"Here's to that," said Joons, and they raised their glasses. "Here's to Dan Martinez shutting up."

Two glasses of cheap champagne met with a delicate ring. Dan Martinez raised the drink to his lips, winked at his companion, and took a healthy sip. "You sure can have a good time," he said.

A young, blonde haired woman sat across from him at the restaurant table. The napkin across her lap covered about as much flesh as her seductive gown. She returned a smile, but set her glass down. "I think I've had enough for tonight."

Dan shrugged loosely. "Just as long as you're comfortable. Maybe tonight you'll finally tell me your name, hm?"

She smiled again. "Maybe my name isn't so important. And maybe it's a name you wouldn't like."

"I guess I won't know until I hear it," said Dan.

"But what if it was ugly?" she batted her eyes. "You wouldn't use my name anyway!"

He laughed. "Oh, you don't know that! I'm sure you have a beautiful name."

The young lady's eyes grew a little less playful. "But... if it wasn't," she said, "would you regret it?"

Dan's clouded eyes stared back at hers, and he placed his hand clumsily on her arm. "Of course not," he said firmly.

She blinked her bright hazel eyes, and reached out, and kissed him on the cheek. Her fingers ran gently across his chin. "Thank you, Dan," she whispered.

Dan sighed bashfully away, and he turned his eyes down to the wineglasses on the table. His vision began to blur; he was surprised. He hadn't been drinking much, he thought. Maybe the champagne was better than he'd thought.

He reached for his glass. His hand could not seem to find it. Focusing harder, he tried to feel for the blurring object before him. And his heart skipped, when he noticed the second wineglass beside it. Dan's drink was a different color.

He felt a dull lethargy spreading through his head, smearing his thoughts and fears together. The wineglasses divided, multiplied, disappeared in a haze of light. He felt himself falling, and then felt nothing at all.

"Hey you! Wait a second!"

Lisa stopped at the base of the stairs leading to her apartment. The building around her was less than standard living, especially for a guest of New Macross' mayor. Though none of the buildings in the city, this one was so ill-maintained that it appeared to show decades of age. Wallpaper was peeling, carpet was stained, and lightbulbs were burned out.

She had picked out the apartment herself. It wasn't necessary; Mayor Saul would have given her a presidential suite at the fanciest hotel in town if she had only asked. But Lisa was never one to accept a blind favor. She refused to take the mayor's gifts simply because she was Rick's companion. Lisa had been forced to learn self-sufficience, and she hoped that being alone for so long had made her good at it.

But still, there were times when she returned to her old self. The young Lisa Hayes, lighthearted and carefree, before the war forever changed her life. The Lisa who only heard of the war from her father's stories. Whose only concern was how she should behave in the presence of her beloved. Nowadays, she only feel this way when Rick was with her. And the feelings were painful and strangely beautiful at the same time. She hated herself afterward for her pathetic displays of affection. But it panged her heat with sweet nostalgia for a childhood she had barely experienced.

This was not one of those times. Lisa gripped the handrail of the stairs, and turned around. The cheap wood crumbled and broke under her light grasp.

The building's landlord was leaning against the front door. He was a short and burly man who took to wearing a bulletproof vest everywhere he went. Lisa had not learned his name.

"Can I help you?" she asked tiredly.

"I'm gonna make this clear right away," he said. "I've had RDF living here before, and I know what to expect. I want my rent weekly, you got it?"

She sighed. "We've already had this conversation."

"Just making sure you were _listening,_" he replied. "And if I find out you're even _thinking _of skipping town, I'll have the police on you."

"How about you let me settle in before you start _harassing _me?" Lisa groaned. She tossed the broken chunk of wood into his face. "You'll get your money on Saturday."

She reached the top of the stairs, found her room, and worked at the many locks to open the door. Stepping inside, she thought about slamming it but decided not to. _With my luck, _she thought, _it'll break._

Her apartment was surprisingly nice. She spent most of her freetime lately cleaning the place up, in some hope that she might get to stay longer than a few weeks. The furniture in the main room was covered with cotton throws, and decorative rugs lay on the hardwood floors. The kitchen counter had Rick and Lisa's newest picture in a small frame. More photographs and pictures were neatly hung on the walls, although must of her things were still boxed up in her bedroom.

She sat down on the couch and switched on her small television. A special edition of the evening news was already in progress. The anchor sat properly behind his desk. Behind him, an image of Lynn Minmei's smiling face appeared, and then shrank down beside him.

"On tonight's edition of _Newsline, _we bring you 'Minmei, Wings of an Angel.' Our correspondent Tanya Steele sat down with Lynn Minmei for an interview exclusive to this program."

The screen dissolved into an excerpt of the upcoming interview. Minmei sat across from the newswoman, in a formal black dress. But her personality barely fit the bill; she was jumpy and excited, and looked as though she was wearing too much makeup.

"We've heard that this show is particularly special to you," said the correspondent. "Can you tell us why?"

"Oh, sure!" nodded Minmei emphatically. "It'll be the debut of my newest song! It's called 'On Wings of Steel,' and I'm proud to say that I've written the whole thing myself!"

"We've heard that you're taking a new approach at your music. Do you think people will enjoy this 'new Minmei' as much as the old one?"

"I sure hope so!" she giggled. "I really do think this record is different, though. I think... well, I think everybody's been through so much lately. We can't look at things the same way, you know? It doesn't have to be _bad, _it's just not familiar to us. So we've all had to, sort of, accept these changes. I guess what I'm trying to say is...the world's growing up. I think I should do some growing up too."

Lisa watched the television with shallow eyes and a shaking heart. She picked up the remote, turned off the show and reached for her phone receiver. Rick's number was in the memory dial.

He answered the phone, happy to hear her voice. "Hi Lisa! What's going on?"

She dried her eyes as she spoke nervously. "Oh... nothing, I guess. What're you up to?"

"Eh, you know me, nothing special. I was just about to turn on the news," he laughed, "just in case they _did _videotape me this morning."

Lisa gasped. "No! Uh...I mean...mmh," she trailed off, embarrassed.

"Something the matter?" he asked.

"Uh, no, I just... well, I just had a long day. I was sort of hoping to chat with you for a little while...do you mind?"

"Of course not!" he replied.

Lisa sighed and sat back in relief. She spent the next two hours on the phone with Rick, laughing with him as he recounted the morning's embarassing press conference. Her worries soon left her, but she avoided looking back at the television for the rest of the night.

_a/n: A lot going on for one chapter, wouldn't you say? :) I had fun writing this one and I think it brings things closer into perspective. Not fully, of course. But if you knew everything, you'd be reading something else. :D_

_ Ah, the continuity of it all! There's been some reviews lately bringing up certain aspects of this fic that don't seem to jive with the original story. To this I say: you might be right, but hang in there! I've still got a lot of explaining to do. Things might seem a little disjointed right now, but it will all make sense in the near future._


	17. Far Reaches

Chapter 17

Minmei looked casually into storefront windows, as she strolled through downtown New Macross. In the distant sky, RDF fighter planes were performing limber aerial maneuvers in practice for the coming airshow. Excited shoppers were lined up along the boardwalk, watching the powerful machines with awe. Minmei was glad; it gave her a chance to shop unnoticed.

_I'm so nervous! _she thought. _It's been ages since I've sung for a live audience. What if they don't like me? What if...they don't want me anymore?_

As a child, she had watched her favoite pop stars come into the spotlight, and then fade away just as quickly. She had been too young, too naive to care what happened to them. As long as she had a pretty face to admire and a tune to sing in the shower, she was happy. But now she stood in that very spotlight, giving everything she could to the people. And the people took her hard work for granted. Minmei could bare her soul in song, and if the audience was in a bad mood, she would be rejected.

_Rick used to encourage me, _she smiled distantly. _In his own way. He was quiet, a little shy...but just knowing he was there...and that he'd be watching...it was enough to calm my nerves._

She took a deep breath. _I hope you're watching this time, Rick..._

A pair of elevator doors slid open, and Dan Martinez stepped into a cold draft. Assault rifles with flashlights bore over him. Soldiers' hands reached through the blinding light and caught his shoulders. They threw him on the ground and quickly searched him for weapons.

Dan was surrounded by a crude military base, in some sort of dark warehouse. Ammunition was boxed up on folding tables. Communications equipment lay tangled on the floor. Armed soldiers patroled the area, bearing patch on their shoulders with a yellow cross.

Lynn Kyle stood over Dan with his arms folded tightly. The former admiral Jameson Sever was at his side, once again in military fatigues.

"Get up," said Lynn coldly. "You're a soldier, it's time you started acting like one."

Dan rose to his feet. The toxins in his system were still making him groggy. "What's going on?" he asked, with a tired voice.

"I needed a word with you," said Lynn. "So I had one of the Cross members bring you here."

"The girl..." he groaned.

"She said you talked big," Lynn frowned. "Hopefully you're more than the worthless braggart you appear to be."

Dan shook away his drowsiness. "What do you want with me?"

Lynn motioned for a pair of troopers to guard him. "I want you to hear me out," he said, "and decide for yourself if I'm as evil as you say I am."

He addressed the guards. "Get him a Veritech flight suit, and take him to sub-level five."

Dan looked up at the massive device before him. It was an ice cold, tubular container that was several stories tall. Robotic arms hung from the ceiling around it, prepared to move the giant container if need be. Soldiers in bulletproof armor stood all around it. Their guns were lowered, but their eyes were on Martinez.

Lynn Kyle stepped into the spotlights, between the Veritech pilot and the device. His black business suit seemed like an extension of the shadows around him. His long, blue-streaked hair was tied in a neat ponytail. Dan looked him defiantly in the eye; Lynn returned the cold stare.

"What are you doing with a Protoculture matrix?" Dan sneered.

"We salvaged it from a Zentraedi ship's wreckage," Lynn replied solemnly.

"Any warcraft wreckage is the property of the Robotech Defense Force!"

Lynn shook his head. "The Freedom Cross is deticated to peace. I couldn't hand it over to the military. They'd use it for more killing machines."

"So what are you going to do?" Dan snapped. "Use it for _yourself?_"

"No," said Lynn. "We're going to find a way to destroy it. But until we do...we have to defend it."

He patted his hand on the icy metal surface. "Let me ask you a question, a serious one. Based on your knowledge, how many Veritechs could you build with a matrix this big?"

Dan stood in silence for a moment. "I don't know," he said. "They haven't built new Veritechs in years."

"An estimate, then," said Lynn.

"I don't know. It could power a Robotech factory for months."

Lynn nodded his head. "That sounds about right. Now, do you have any idea what it could do in _Zentraedi _hands?"

"What, like the Malcontent? They wouldn't even know what it was."

"No," said Lynn. "The _real _Zentraedi."

"No," Dan replied. "And you know what? I'm getting sick of this, so why don't you just..."

Lynn pounded the side of the giant matrix. "It could power a _starship, _Lieutenant!"

His words bounced off the cold walls, and came back in threatening echoes. Dan held his tongue. Lynn stared with threatening eyes and a hand on the matrix, his fingers running down the rusted steel.

"A Zentraedi battle cruiser is a semi-sentient organism," Kyle said, stepping up to Dan. "It runs on a single matrix of Protoculture, which it _replenishes _whenever it's active! This is all it takes, Lieutenant. In the right hands, this matrix could decimate the RDF, the Freedom Cross...and the legions of innocent people left on this world."

"You're dreaming," said Dan with disgust. "Every Zentraedi cruiser on the planet has been vaporized. And there's not enough Zentraedi left who know how to _operate _one!"

Lynn waved his finger in Dan's face. "You think you know it all, don't you?"

From the pocket of his suit coat, he retrieved a handful of photographs, paper-clipped together. The first one was black and white, and showed a landscape of desolate rocks and dust.

"What if I told you," said Lynn, "that there's a Zentraedi battle cruiser still intact. It's on the moon, buried in half a mile of rocks. And with a full matrix of Protoculture, it could free itself and make the journey back to Earth."

The second photo was a military spy picture. A tall, broad-shouldered Zentraedi warrior in full armor, standing beside a Robotech TC-1.

"Zerol," said Dan.

"That's right," Lynn nodded. "Zerol. Leader of the biggest Malcontent faction there is. There isn't a Zentraedi alive who hates Earth more than he. And do you know what Zerol did in the war?"

"...He was commander of a starship."

Lynn smiled coolly. "We've run background checks on a handful of his followers. They were all officers on Zentraedi battle cruisers."

Dan gasped. "He...he's not amassing an army...he's forming a _crew!_"

Lynn folded his arms, his hands disappearing into the shadow of his business suit. "Zerol _knows_ about the cruiser on the moon. He's _been _there...we can prove it." His eyes grew thin, and he stared down at the Veritech pilot before him. "And he's found out about our Protoculture."

_ 'Sup Mike!_

_ Gonna take a few days off - meeting that chick today and we're going to her place. _

_ Wish me luck,_

_ Dan_

"You've gotta be _kidding _me, Mike."

Michael Joons stood in Dan Martinez' apartment, fully dressed and armed with RDF weapons. A note, scratched hurriedly on a napkin, was in his hand. He spoke into a small cellular radio. Rick Hunter was on the other line.

"No sir," said Michael. "There's no sign of a break-in. All the doors and windows are still locked."

Two soldiers came down the stairs from the bedrooms. "Nothing upstairs," said one.

Michael nodded. "Looks like he ditched us, sir."

Rick cursed under his breath. "I'm setting up a search for him anyway. Do you seriously think he'd do this to us? Even this close to the show?"

"I wouldn't put it past him, sir."

"All right. Come on back to the airport. We'll have to plan this whole thing differently."

"Roger that," said Michael, and he clicked off the small radio. "Alright guys, that's it for the day. Let's pack up and--"

The apartment's windows smashed in violently. Bullet holes ripped open the walls and tore the furniture. One of the soldiers fell and shouted, clutching his arm. Peeling tires sounded just outside the door.

"Stay with him!" called Michael. He unlocked the safety on his assault rifle and burst through the front door. A stolen taxi cab was accelerating fast into the shadows of night. Two young men hung out the windows, screaming angered threats and firing into the air.

"Death to micronians! Long live the Zentraedi!"

Michael quickly put on his helmet. An infra-red visor slid over his eyes and, he followed the car's path down the street. He calmly rested the rifle butt against his shoulder, took aim, and squeezed the trigger. His visor flashed with the white-hot flash from the gun's muzzle.

A volley of automatic fire broke the cab's windows. The car slid out of control and collided with a telephone pole. Tangled metal and splinters of wood showered the pavement. Michael stepped into the street, and slowly approached the wreckage.

One of the young Zentraedi was kicking at the door from inside. Michael could see his heat signiature through the sheet metal of the car. He lowered the gun to his side and waited in stillness.

The young man freed himself from the smoldering vehicle. He gripped a semi-auto pistol in his blood-soaked hand. His dilated eyes found the man responsible; Michael's visor glowed in the shadows of the dark city street.

The Zentraedi lifted his gun with a shaking hand. His face was drawn tight with rage.

"We...are superior! ...We will not stop...until _every last micronian_...is dead in these streets!"

Michael raised the assault rifle with one arm. His thumb switched the weapon to its alternate firing mode. He stepped into the light of a streetlamp, and stared the revolting Zentraedi in the eye.

"They were here _first,_" he sneered. "And they _belong _here."

Michael pulled the trigger tight. The assault rifle launched a grenade into the taxi's broken window. Roaring a terrible explosion into the night, it buried the Malcontent in liquid fire.


	18. Spectacle

a/n:

Sorry for the late update! There's been a ton of stuff going on lately, and these are the chapters I've been looking forward to writing. I actually attended an airshow last year and got to see an F-14 fly a demonstration. It was one of those things I'm sure I'll never forget. And it looks so much like a Veritech, it's scary. :D 

Also, I noticed a minor issue regarding the last chapter. Admiral Sever's first name is Allan, and Reave's first name is Jameson. I don't know why I keep switching these guys' names around. But Allan Sever is the bad guy, and Jameson Reave is the good guy. Sorry for the mixup. :)

Oh, and one more thing. In my humble opinion, the Robotech Remastered DVD is total greatness. If you haven't heard about it yet, check out the official RT site for details.

Chapter 18

The long-awaited Air Show had finally begun, and New Macross had been eagerly awaiting it for months. It certainly showed; it seemed as though the entire city had made its way to the airport. Long rows of bleachers ran the distance of the giant runway, and they were packed with excited citizens. Wide pathways ran behind the bleachers, where vendors sold food, drinks, and souveniers. Flocks of people walked the paths. Some could not find a good seat, and others waited in the lines or wandered around for fun.

But there was another reason to explore the surroundings. The RDF had placed some of its military equipment on the pathways, so that the people of New Macross could get a close look. Tanks, trucks, and even giant Destroids and Veritech fighters were on display, with their operators present to shake hands and answer questions. The people massed around the powerful machines in awe.

Triumphant rock music blared from the speakers, as a VF-2B Buzzard dove from the sky. Its bulky frame was painted in green jungle camoflauge. The fighter barrel-rolled as it screamed nose-first at the ground.

And now! the announcer boomed. _The VF-2B will demonstrate its deadly "tank-killer" gun! This Veritech uses special explosive shells that can pierce tank armor! Watch that nose, everyone!_

The audience buzzed excitedly in wait, as the Veritech bomber dove steeper. Its pilot came over the speakers through his radio. "Target acquired," he said, with the tenseness of a real battle. "Firing-firing-firing!"

The Buzzard's nose-mounted cannon belched fire, and left a trail of thick smoke behind it. Shell casings popped out in a long stream as the cannon fired its blank rounds. Pyrotechnics on the runway sent balls of fire into the air. The VF-2B performed a steep climb at the last second and leveled off, flying past the breathless audience at lightning speed.

Come in, VF-2! called the announcer. _What's your situation?_

The Buzzard looped high into the air and tipped its wing at the audience. "I got him, tower! That's a confirmed kill!"

The crowd roared wildly for their hero in the sky.

Thundering engine growls shook the windows of the airport's control tower. In the distant sky, the VF-2B pulled into a slow vertical loop, its afterburners cracking and spitting fire. The tough, heavy fighter jet seemed to hang still in the cloudy sky, its pilot commanding the metal beast to defy gravity.

Lisa Hayes watched the bomber's flight, as she stood in the middle of the command center. "Bravo, Lieutenant!" she smiled into her headset radio. "Excellent show!"

The pilot's voice drolled back. "Pleasure flying for you, Commander. This is Copperhead One, heading off into the sunset."

"Roger Copper One, and thanks again."

"Commander!" called an officer by the communication terminal. "Hawk Two is airborne and awaiting your mark."

"Give us visual," said Lisa.

The forward monitor displayed an image of Lieutenant Joons, looking back through the tinted glass of his Veritech helmet. His tanned face and dark eyes were almost hidden behind the sun's glare.

"This is Hawk Two," said Joons proudly. "I'm in position, just south of the city. Ready when you are, Commander!"

Lisa gave him a thumbs-up. "Do us proud, Joons!"

"Yes ma'am!" he saluted, and disappeared from the screen.

Lisa turned to the communications officer again. "Any word from Commander Hunter?" she asked.

"No ma'am, but we've still got the line open."

"Let me know as soon as you get hailed."

She turned her eyes toward the clouded blue sky, streaked with Veritech smoke trails.

Let's hear it for the sensational VF-2B variable fighter!!

Minmei wandered the airshow grounds amid the sea of people. In tennis shoes, a pair of old jeans and an RDF t-shirt, she blended right in with the crowd. Thus far, she was able to enjoy the show without being noticed.

She had never felt so much excitement in a crowd. To her left, children climbed on the treads of an RDF battle tank, and one young boy stared curiously into its giant cannon barrel. To her right, a large group gathered around a dormant VF-2B guardian, while the pilot answered their eager questions. Far ahead, a Tomahawk Destroid awed the crowd by rotating its giant torso back and forth. Every gift and food stand she passed had a rediculous line, but nobody was complaining. 

She passed a photographer's booth. "Be a hero," she read the sign. "Get your picture taken with the SDF-1...only ten dollars." Children were lining up to be photographed on a backdrop of the Super Dimension Fortress. She wasn't sure how she felt about it.

A squarish little robot bumped Minmei in the leg. It wiggled its antenna as she looked down in surprise. "Greetings," it said. "Would you like an instant photograph?"

"By myself?" asked Minmei. It brought a tinge of sadness to her. "No...I don't think so."

"You were considering doing business with that photographer. My services are considerably cheaper than his."

She folded her hands and smiled. "Oh really. How cheap?"

The robot looked back at the photo stand, and leaned forward for a good look. It finally nodded its boxy frame and turned to Minmei. "Nine dollars and ninety-nine cents," it reported.

Minmei giggled. "Well, thanks anyway, but I'll pass."

"Blemish removal is available at no extra charge!" said the robot quickly.

"Hey, are you calling me ugly?" she said wryly.

"No, you are without blemish. I will erase the ugly people standing behind you."

Minmei knelt down, and patted the robot on the top of its domed head. "You keep trying," she smiled. "You'll get your picture."

She stood up to leave, but to her surprise, the robot wheeled in front of her again. 

"Very well," it said. "I shall try again. Would you like an instant photograph?"

"Uh...no," Minmei replied. "I meant...keep trying with _other people._"

"But you haven't ordered _your _photograph yet--"

She shooed the little robot away with her hands. "Go on, I think _those _people want a picture..." She watched and giggled, as the robot sped off in the direction she pushed it. The first people it came across got hassled.

A tall, skinny man stepped in her way. He wore an expensive black suit and a pair of thin-framed sunglasses. His blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her under the shadows of an RDF missle launcher display.

"What are you _doing _out here?!" he whined. "Have you forgotten who you _are? _Look at the size of this crowd! They'd _riot _if they knew you were walking around here!"

Minmei rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Randy!" she said, and pulled her hand away. "I just wanted to have a little fun! Trying to get rid of the pre-show jitters, you know?"

The man pulled at his hair. "Minmei, you're _insane!_ I want you back in your dressing room until showtime, you hear me?"

"But _Randy, _I'm not in any..."

"No arguments, now get back there before somebody sees you!"

Minmei sighed and dropped her eyes. "I...I guess...maybe you're right."

"That's more like it," Randy nodded.

"...Not!"

Minmei pushed her agent on his back, and jumped over him. She ran off into the excited crowd, where she quickly disappeared.

The city of New Macross approached in the gunsights of Michael Joons' cockpit. He held the flight stick calmly with one hand, and adjusted his throttle with the other. His tinted glass visor kept out the noonday sun.

He switched on his com-link. "I just got the signal from Commander Hayes," he said. "I guess this is it."

Rick Hunter's face appeared on his navigation screen. "All right!" he said, and gave Michael a thumbs-up. "You're on your own, Mike. This one's all yours."

"Yeah," Michael sighed. "Time to put this baby to the test."

"Just keep cool and play it natural. Besides...we're all just Minmei's opening acts anyhow!"

Michael laughed. "Upstaged by a pretty face? We'll see about that!"

He switched the radio off and gunned the throttle. The VF-1J blasted to life and soared at the New Macross skyscrapers. Michael kept the Veritech as low as he could, buzzing over the tops of the buildings and weaving back and forth over the cityscape. Spectators on top of the buildings held their ears and jumped in excitement. The windows shook behind him as he passed by, his confidence growing stronger as the airport appeared in the distance.

A flashing light appeared on his head-up display. Michael was being hailed on radio. When he replied, his voice would be live to thousands of spectators, and a host of live radio programs as well. And his flying would be video taped for sure. None of these things bothered him very much.

I've just never done it before, he thought, and hesitantly flipped the radio switch again.

The announcer's voice came loudly into his helmet, startling him. _Let's listen in! Maybe we can find our pilot now!_

Michael cleared his throat. _Live to New Macross, _he thought.

The voice of Commander Hayes broke in, much quieter and calmer. She hailed him with perfect composure, just as she would in a real combat situation.

"This is New Macross Tower calling VF-1J Valkyrie!" she said proudly. "Do you copy, Valkyrie?"

Michael took a breath. "This is VF-1 Valkyrie!" he replied as rehearsed. "I copy, Tower!"

"Thanks for coming, Valkyrie," said Commander Hayes. "You have the sky!"

Looking through his gunsights as he dove, Michael saw the packed bleachers lining the airstrip. He could hear the crowd's cheering from the Commander's end of the line. "Roger that," he smiled. "All right, New Macross...it's time to fly with the Valkyrie!"

Minmei raised her eyes to the sky, along with the crowded masses around her. The announcer was silent, and from the distance, a roaring growl rumbled through the sky. The audience searched the bright sky for traces of the incoming Veritech fighter.

_...VF-1 Valkyrie! _the booming voice called. _What is your location?_ But the Valkyrie's pilot did not respond.

The monstrous roar grew closer and louder. Minmei felt it begin to shake the ground under her feet. Her heart began to race.

A young girl pointed behind the bleachers. "There! In the city!"

Minmei swung around; the sight took her breath away. Between two skyscrapers, a majestic blue VF-1 was barrel-rolling straight at the crowd. Sunlight gleamed off its nosecone, streaked over its giant square intakes, and shined at the tips of its outspread wings.

The audiene gasped. As the Veritech passed between the skyscrapers, it blasted towards them with a terriffic _boom_ from its engines. The mighty growl shook the airport as the VF-1 passed overhead. Minmei could feel the sonic shock rush toward her, through her body, and past as it followed behind the Veritech fighter.

Michael forced the Valkyrie into a vertical climb. His engines roared madly behind him, but he could still hear the announcer's voice in his helmet radio.

..._The Valkyrie variable fighter is the most advanced aircraft in the Robotech Defense Force! Its twin-turbine engines allow for a top speed exceeding any fighter craft on the planet...Zentraedi battle pods don't stand a chance!_

He screamed through a layer of wispy clouds, pulled back on the flight stick and throttled down. The Valkyrie hurled into an upside-down loop. Michael looked up through the cockpit glass; the airport was a thousand feet below him. The roar of applause filled his speakers.

_Watch, as Lieutenant Joons cuts his engines in midair! No other fighter would dare to attempt this feat! But the Valkyrie's engines are designed to re-fire in any circumstance...even in deep space! So even with his engines off, Lieutenant Joons has complete control of the VF-1J!_

Michael squeezed the flight stick tightly, hanging upside-down as the Valkyrie began to drop. _That's the idea, _he thought nervously, and swung the fighter into a spin. The Valkyrie dove through layers of cloud and ice-cold air in a barrel roll. The runway grew closer by the instant; negative gravity lifted him from his seat.

He pulled the stick back and slammed on the afterburners. The force pressed him hard into the seatback. He rolled the Valkyrie over the ecstatic crowd and back into the air.

"Whoo! How's _that, _New Macross!" he threw his fist up to the glass. A roaring cheer answered him back.

A small TV screen showed Michael Joons' Valkyrie in action, rolling and weaving masterfully through the sky. The picture fuzzed and cracked, fading in and out of focus. Joons' victory shouts were barely audible.

Rick Hunter was glued to the TV at a small coffee table, in the midst of a Robotech flight-prep hangar. The Veritechs of Wolf Squadron were lined up in their bays, getting attention from their full-time mechanics. A few of the Wolf pilots stood behind Rick, trying to get a glimpse of the action themselves.

"Come on, Mike!" Rick shouted, growing more excited with each precision move Joons executed. "Yeah, way to go! Now keep them waiting...just a bit more..._now! _Yeah, you got it!"

The picture burst into white snow. Rick jumped to his feet and turned to the pilots. "We lost it again! I don't believe this!"

"We lost it!" called one of the pilots. "Somebody find a technician!"

The Wolf Pack scrambled across the hangar in search of someone to fix the reception. Rick stayed behind, mumbling nervously as he played with the cables behind the TV.

A voice on the intercom filled the repair bays. _Paging Commander Rick Hunter to the nearest communication terminal. Commander Rick Hunter to the nearest communication terminal. Thank you._

Rick left the sliding doors of the hangar, quickly scanning the hallway for one of the tall, cylinder-shaped terminals that reminded him of the phone booths on Old Macross. He found one in a small corridor, squeezed in between a vending machine and a drinking fountain. But it was no easy task getting there. He stepped aside as a group of pilots ran for the hangar, and he nearly tripped over a little path-sweeping droid.

"Excuse me...pardon me," he nodded, pressing through the busy hall. A clearing formed in the crowd, and he felt like diving forward to reach his incoming call.

But he grinded to a halt, as a handful of young ladies stepped in his way. They appeared to be teenage students, dressed in formal RDF uniforms. But many of their their skirts were cut a little too high, and their blouses a bit low, for standard regulation. The girls batted their eyes and giggled. Rick sighed, and forced a smile and a wave.

"Wow!" said a girl with bright blonde hair, standing in front of the group. "I can't believe it...you're Rick Hunter!"

"_Commander _Hunter," said the brunette beside her with a giggle.

"Um...hello there," said Rick. "I'm sorry, but I have..."

"This is just _unbelievable!" _the blonde continued with bright eyes. "This is so _exciting! _A real SDF-1 war hero!"

Rick blushed a little. "Well...that's very nice. But I really do have a..."

"From Old Macross even!" whispered a girl in the back.

"You're a little shorter in person!" said the blonde. "On Mia's pinup, you look seven feet tall!"

Rick blinked his eyes. "Mia's _what?!_"

"He's still pretty cute, and he looks our age!" whispered one of the girls. "Nice hair!" another replied.

The blonde-haired girl perked up even more. "Hey! That reminds me!" She turned around and reached for the back of the group, bringing a shy girl with ponytails toward her. The young student resisted, but was pushed right in front of Rick.

"This is Mia!" the leader explained. "She's got a _total _crush on you! Go ahead, Mia...say hello!"

The girl blushed painfully with downcast eyes. Rick was just as embarassed.

"Um...h-hello, sir," she whispered.

"You've got an interesting bunch of friends here!" Rick laughed.

"I hate them all, sir," she sneered back at them.

"Ah, they're just having a little fun..."

Mia cleared her throat, and brought her nervous eyes up to Rick's. "I'm glad you have the Skull back, sir..."

Rick fell silent in shock. The girls behind Mia began to chatter. "What'd she say? She made him all nervous! Oh, that's just like Mia to screw it up..."

He smiled, and took Mia's hand. "Wish me luck, okay?"

Mia shook it vigorously. "Oh, yes sir! I will sir...I mean, good luck sir!"

_Paging Commander Rick Hunter to the nearest communication terminal. Commander Rick Hunter to the nearest communication terminal. Thank you._

"Well, it was nice meeting you all," announced Rick, "but I have a _phone call._"

He quickly ducked into the booth, leaving the door open behind him. The computer accepted his passcode. _You have one incoming call, _it announced.

"Connect, please," said Rick.

_While we connect you, would you like to learn how to save money on your long-distance calls?_

"I hate these public terminals," Rick mumbled. "No thank you."

_Registration for OneWorld Videophones is only $49.99, and includes..._

"Come on, just connect me!"

_Your call is connecting... Please wait..._

Lisa's face appeared on the screen, in a digital video image. "Rick...is that you?"

Rick smiled and waved at the screen. "Hey! I was hoping it was you! How's the show?"

"Great!" said Lisa. "Joons is finishing now...they decided to relieve me for a few minutes, so I thought I'd give you a..."

The group of girls crowded around the open booth, knocking on the glass. "Nice to meet you, Commander!" they giggled. "Come and see us again! I hope you don't crash! Hey...who's _that _you're talking to?!"

Rick quickly shut the door, waved courteously and shooed the girls away from within. He looked back at the screen with a red face. "Uh...sorry about that."

"What was _that _all about?" Lisa cocked her head wryly.

"I have no idea," sighed Rick.

"You know," she replied with a smile, "if you weren't so naive, I'd have to watch you a little closer!"

He laughed uncomfortably. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nevermind," she waved. Her eyes grew more sincere. "Rick...don't take this the wrong way...but are you doing all right?"

"Well...I'm pretty nervous," he sighed. "I've had too much time to think. There's a lot on my mind right now, that's for sure..."

Lisa smiled, a little weaker than before. "I know. But you're going to do just fine...in fact, it'll be fun! Just like the air circus, right?"

"Right," he sighed again. "Just like old times."

They looked at each other in silence. Rick took a breath, and rubbed his eyes. "You know," he said. "I still remember this one time, when Roy and I were celebrating after a performance. He said, 'there's two things you'll remember for the rest of your life. Your first kiss, and your first ditch."

Rick laughed a bit, but Lisa was solemn. "Rick," she said quietly. "Nobody...blames you, for what happened to Skull One."

"I know it's my fault," Rick forced a smile.

"But it's _not_ your fault. You couldn't help what happened...and you saved lives. You made the right choice."

"Yeah," said Rick. "It's just that...sometimes I wonder if I could have saved her too...if I'd been a little better."

Lisa grew closer, leaning toward the screen. "Rick, listen to me. In my mind, you are the best fighter pilot in the RDF. And it's not just your reflexes or your test scores. You _think _on your _feet! _You're always the most focused pilot in the sky. You've saved countless lives because of that...even mine."

Rick gave a slight nod. "Thanks, Lisa."

Her eyes were firmly set upon his. "I have faith in you, Rick. Just have some faith in yourself."

The transmission cut off, and a text message replaced it. _You have no credit remaining on your account. Thank you for your patronage._

Rick looked at the blank screen, his face without emotion, and a slew of images flashing across his mind. He slowly opened the glass door, and returned to the hangar to prepare for flight.

A voice hailed him in the hallway. It was a Wolf Squadron pilot, dressed in a blue and white jumpsuit and cradling a helmet in his arm. His face was lined with long white scars, and his scalp was shaved bald. A patch on his suit read "Lt. Hanson."

The pilot saluted at perfect attention. "Sir! Good hunting, sir!" he shouted.

Rick drew a smile across his face, and gave Lieutenant Hanson a salute in return.

The old pilot's hand slowly fell to his side. "She's in good hands," he said.


	19. Still a Star

Chapter 19

The stage was set. Instruments, mixing boards and turntables were ready and waiting. Giant stacks of speakers rose like pillars beside the platform. And the shining blue Valkyrie fighter lay behind it, reflecting the golden hues of the setting sun.

It had been almost ten minutes since the ground crew had stopped working on the stage. The background music had stopped. A silent crowd was growing curious.

The command tower's entrance slid open, and Lieutenant Joons stepped inside. His hair was matted down from sweat. He waved to the lower-ranking officers as he passed by, zipping down the neck of his flight suit. But he reserved a formal salute for Lisa Hayes.

"Made it back, ma'am!" he smiled. He was slightly out of breath.

"That was a tough one, eh soldier?" she replied with a smile. "You'll be decorated for your performance!"

Michael sighed and nodded. He remained at full attention, his eyes wandering uncomfortably around the room.

Lisa looked at him strangely. "Oh! At ease, Joons! Come on now!"

He nodded shyly and leaned against the terminals.

"You want a seat?" she asked, turning her attention to the radar screens. "Go ahead, take mine."

"No thanks," he said shakily. "Well...yeah, thank you." Michael carefully sat down in the commander's chair. He seemed just as nervous.

"Is something the matter, Lieutenant?" she asked.

Joons quickly rubbed his face. "No...no ma'am. Just need to calm down."

"Get a glass of water if you need one," she said, and turned her back to him.

She glanced carefully back at the young pilot, making sure he didn't notice. His hands were tightly gripped on the chair's arm rests. His breathing had been tense ever since he walked in. And Lisa even noticed a few beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

_ What kind of pilot gets shaken up by an air show performance?_

She nearly gasped. Was he staring at her? The lieutenant's nerve-wracked eyes were looking her way.

_ Oh my gosh! I...I don't believe this!_

"Is that him?"

Joons' voice nearly made her jump from her skin. She quickly composed herself. "What's that, lieutenant?" she asked.

"That blip right there," said Joons. He pointed past her, to one of the radar screens. "Is that Commander Hunter approaching?"

Lisa heaved a mental sigh. "Uh...no, it's not. That...looks like our recon unit. It's patrolling the local airspace."

"Oh yeah," nodded Joons. "Man...I wonder where he's at. The sooner we get this over with, the better."

Lisa gave him another curious glance.

The crowd was getting restless. Anonymous voices were calling out their complaints. Some people were stretching, or getting a closer look at the empty stage. Children were trying to climb over the fence, but soldiers with riot helmets gently pushed them back.

Suddenly, a voice made every other silent. It came from the speakers, powerfully drawing their attention.

_ Ladies and gentlemen, Humans and Zentraedi... we gather here today in celebration of our freedom, our independance from the evil minds that would drive us against one another. And there is one young woman who represents this freedom better than any other..._

A roaring cheer lifted into the air, and the announcer's voice grew stronger.

_ In the days of the SDF-1, her song gave us hope. And it was her song that brought Zentraedi and Human together as brothers! Today, the Robotech Defense Force is honored to present a young woman who transcends all introduction...the sensational Miss Lynn Minmei!_

In one sweeping motion, the riot guards turned to face the stage. They ran and jumped high onto the platform. A blast of pyrotechnics exploded around them, covering the stage with smoke. The audience grew wild.

When the smoke faded away, the military clothing was gone. The band members were at their places, dressed in flashy, futuristic outfits. The DJ spun a record on his turntable. The keyboardist eased into a trance-like melody. A set of electronic drums burst in, adding to the energy.

Front and center was Lynn Minmei herself. The stage lights brought a radiant glow over her smiling face. She swayed lightly to the music's ethereal rhythm. Television cameras swung past her as she danced. Her hands stretched out to the crowd, and the crowd stretched back.

Lisa watched from the the tower above. She lightly closed her eyes and turned away from the scene, but the somber electronic music was pulsing through the whole command center.

"All right," she spoke routinely into her headset. "She's on the stage. Everyone stay alert. Eagle group, acnowledge position."

A black-masked soldier appeared on her video screen, with a sniper rifle in his arm. "Eagle One, standing by." He disappeared, and another came after him. "Eagle Two, standing by."

Joons looked out the window from his borrowed chair. His arms were folded tightly across his chest. "Who is that?" he asked. "The one dancing in the middle."

Lisa opened her eyes. "Are you serious?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am. I thought Lynn Minmei was performing today."

She was astonished. "Joons, are you telling me you've never seen Lynn Minmei before?"

Joons shook his head. "No ma'am. So...where is she?"

"She's right there!"

He watched for a moment, and then sat back in his chair. "Am I thinking of a different Minmei?"

"I doubt it," Lisa laughed. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Well...she's just a girl!"

Lisa chuckled again. "She's not much older than you. What's wrong with that?"

Joons grew more formal. "Oh, no offense, ma'am! I didn't mean to sound insulting. I'm sure you're both friends and all."

"I...don't know her too well," said Lisa.

He nodded, and looked back down at the performance. "It just surprises me...how young she is. That means she was...what, _sixteen _during the Macross War? That's unbelievable!"

"What's so troublesome about that?" smiled Lisa.

He sighed and shook his head. "Nothing, I guess. I just...can't believe that a _teenage pop singer _could stop a Zentraedi armada!"

At once, Lisa grew more serious. "You know," she said, folding her own arms. "She had a little help from the RDF..."

"Oh! Yes ma'am!" said Joons sheepishly. "Of course."

Minmei swayed from side to side in her pretty yellow dress. Forever a beautiful child in the eyes of those who watched, she danced on the stage just as she always had. The times had brought a different world, but the person of Minmei was a constant in everyone's mind. No matter what she said, the world always stopped to listen.

She raised the microphone to her mouth, and her smile drifted away as she began to sing.

_ I've given up on_

The girl that I was

I've put to rest

All of those selfish games

They say the world is

Changing, as it does

So please, tell me...

Does that mean I can change?

Soaring on the clouds,

We'll find just what we're looking for

_ If only we could fly_

On wings of steel

If only you could feel

The way I feel

Maybe we could make

This something real

If only we could fly...

Fly on wings of steel

Joons peered out the window. He watched her dance, and followed the trail of her voice in his mind. He watched the reflection of her yellow dress on the Valkyrie's nose.

Lisa rolled her eyes. "You've seen one pop star, you've seen them all."

"I've never heard her sing," said Joons.

Lisa looked closer at his gaze. "Don't start drooling on my chair, Lieutenant!" she laughed.

He paid no attention, and kept his eyes on the starlet below. "I understand," he whispered.


	20. Constellations

Chapter 20

The people of New Macross roared in applause. Lynn Minmei reached out to them with every song, pouring all her energy into each verse. She was opening her heart, giving it to the people. And the people devoured it, and wanted more.

"Thank you! You're a wonderful audience!" she cried out. A bead of sweat was running down her cheek, and her hands were shaking, trying to keep the microphone steady by her lips. But her smile was as beautiful, and her eyes as bright as ever.

A re-mixed version of a familiar song began to play. Minmei gasped for breath, but she was a professional at hiding it. She paused for a split second and struggled to muster more energy. She worried about the pause, but then she nearly laughed. The people would wait for her.

"This next one was my very first song," she said. "I didn't write it, but I sang it a _lot! _And I hope you don't mind if I sing it again tonight..."

The hungry crowd roared in reply.

Minmei closed her eyes, steadied her hand, and sang. _Stage fright, go 'way... this is my big day...

* * *

_

Lisa rubbed her hand over her temple. "I _hate _this song," she groaned. Her eyes were closed tightly.

Joons smiled and nodded. "Heard it too many times?"

She nodded in return. "It gives me a headache..."

The melodic voice of Lynn Minmei bounced off the walls of the command center. Lisa's head began to pound.

_This is my chance to be a star!_

"Would you mind turning that down a little?" she snapped. "Concentrate, people! Let's not forget we're on a command bridge!"

"Right away, Commander!" came a voice from behind her, and the music disappeared. But when Lisa looked out her window, Minmei was still singing in front of the Valkyrie. Lisa watched her lips, and she could hear Minmei's voice just as clearly as before.

_This is my chance to be a star..._

Lisa closed her eyes tightly, and tried to think of another song, any song at all, but she could not. She thought of Lynn Minmei, flying high above the clouds in Rick's Valkyrie, holding his hand in the park, and kissing him under the streetlights of Old Macross. She thought of herself, alone and forgotten in the dim light of a bar, singing Minmei's song.

_She's... she's the star..._

"Everything all right, Commander?"

Lisa gasped blinked her eyes. "Wha-- what's that?"

Lieutenant Joons was glancing up from his seat. "Nevermind. I thought you said something." He returned his attention to the girl on the stage.

The radar screen flashed. Lisa grabbed it with both hands. "It's about time!" she said. "Let's get a confirmation on this blip, people!"

A young man in the back nodded his head. "It's one of ours, Commander. I'm reading a single VF-1S, bearing two-seven-three. He's disengaging his boost packs."

"Excellent!" Lisa beamed excitedly. "Make audio contact!"

A girl at the audio terminal spoke up. "Negative. VF-1S is not responding to our hails."

Lisa stopped in her place. "...Why? What's the problem?"

"His equipment is functioning properly, Commander. I'll continue hailing."

Joons rubbed his chin, and then he smiled. "Commander Hayes," he said. "I don't think I'd worry. I bet he's trying to sneak up on us."

Lisa smiled. She leaned over Joons and flipped a switch at her station. A pilot's image came on the main screen. _Osprey One _was written across the helmet's brow.

"Hello Commander!" said the masked pilot. "This is Osprey One, at your service!"

"Roger, Osprey One," said Lisa. "We've got a VF-1S on our radar bearing two-seven-three. Can you give us a visual?"

The pilot motioned off-screen to his equipment operators. "We've been trying since he dropped from orbit, Commander. He's moving too fast. I've never seen a Valk hit speeds like that before! It's gotta be the Skull."

Lisa smiled again.

* * *

The heavy G-forces pushed Rick into the pilot's seat. He was relieved to have jettisoned the booster packs from the Skull One's fuselage. The added rocket fuel had gotten him all the way to Earth from the _Ultimatum, _but the giant thrusters riding piggyback on the Valk became cumbersome as soon as he entered the atmosphere. Without the weight of his space boosters, the flight was smooth and responsive, and he felt the true speed of his VF-1S.

Rick pulled the Valk into a tight barrel roll. This was the Skull One he remembered.

Bringing his thrust all the way up, he came within meters of the ocean's surface. The waters parted violently in the wake of his engines. The sun was beginning to set on the fast-approaching shore of New Macross.

He imagined Ben Dixon flying close at nine o'clock, in a dust-brown VF-1A with a full armament of cruise missiles. His round face and wild eyes showed through the tint of his helmet. _Those Zentraedi low lives are in for a surprise! _Ben scoffed. _We're gonna send them clear across the galaxy!_

_You said it! _Max Sterling replied. He flew at three o'clock, his eyes sharp and steady like the royal blue VF-1A he controlled. _I've got a few rockets with "Battle Pod" written all over them!_

And Rick imagined the image of Roy Fokker, sparking to life on his video screen. _Hey, Rick! _he called out, with all the confidence and authority of a true hero. _Take care of my baby for me! I'm not letting you keep her forever, you know!_

Rick let their images fade away, replaced by the passing waves. "Well guys," he whispered. "This one's for you."

He pulled up and rose vertical, piercing into the darkening sky.

* * *

Minmei's voice faltered as she sang "We Will Win." Her heart skipped and she hoped no one had noticed. But the crowd was screaming so loudly and the music was booming so hard, Minmei figured she was hard to hear anyway.

She finished the song, just barely. Beads of sweat were running through her make-up. She panted for breath and counted the measures of the rhythm. Her next song was fast approaching and she wasn't ready.

_I can't make it! _she cried to herself. Turning to the band member at the turntables, she gave him a casual wave, hoping he would catch on and loop the beat for a few more seconds. But the DJ was looking up to the cloudy sky. Minmei glanced left and right. Her entire band was watching the sky, the backs of their shiny jumpsuits casting a bright reflection at the crowd.

_What...what's happening? _she gasped. Her shaking hands nearly dropped the microphone.

And then it reached her; a roaring _boom _like the clap of thunder. She raised her eyes skyward. A bright white shape burst through the clouds high above her and left a streak of glowing blue light behind it. She knew right away that it was a Veritech fighter. It stopped its climb and tipped to one side, and dove in a steady descent toward the airport.

She slowly climbed off the stage, watching the dark sky with the rest of the audience.

The Veritech was a screaming blur. It passed overhead quicker than the crowd could follow it, and a sonic boom shook the ground. It tipped sharply to one side and made a hair-pin right turn. A stream of ionized air crackled in its wake as the Veritech approached again.

It whizzed over the crowd a second time, until it was over the empty airfield. The fighter pulled back its nose and roared into a steep climb. The crowd instantly cheered at their first clear view. Its fuselage was emblazoned with a black skull and crossbones. Inside the shining cockpit, a pilot with a bright white helmet was looking back at the people as his Veritech climbed vertical. He raised his gloved hand and saluted them.

Minmei was dumbfounded. She stumbled backwards and leaned against the stage.

_Ladies and gentlemen, _the announcer proudly boomed. _It seems like one of Minmei's old friends decided to stop by! The RDF and Macross City are honored to present two great heroes of the Macross War! Please welcome Commander Rick Hunter...and the legendary Skull One fighter!

* * *

_

Lisa could hear the wild applause from inside the control tower. Her eyes followed the Skull as it soared upwards. She smiled as Rick barrel-rolled through the ceiling of clouds, and all she could see was a soft blue glow from his engines.

_Commander Hayes, _came a voice from the room's intercom. _You're on, whenever you're ready._

She nodded, calmed her nerves, and turned on the microphone on her headset. "Skull One!" she called, with all the added drama she could muster. "Come in, Skull One!" She could hear her own voice blasting from the speakers below.

She smiled again, and decided to ad-lib. "This is the SDF-1! Do you copy?"

Michael Joons perked up with surprise. He glanced at her with a smile of amusement. Lisa bit her lip and shrugged nervously, but he gave her a thumbs-up and silently mouthed "that's good!"

After a moment of dramatic silence, Rick's voice came in reply. "I read you, SDF-1! Good to hear your voice, Commander Hayes!"

Lisa blushed and covered her face. She didn't notice the roars of the audience below her.

* * *

Rick flew level, circling the airport above the clouds. He imagined the great Super Dimension Fortress waiting below, with Lisa Hayes standing confidently at its command.

"Skull One," Lisa called over the radio. "What is your situation?"

"All targets have been destroyed," said Rick with a hero's confidence. "Permission to touch down!"

He was having the time of his life. He wished he could see Lisa's face.

"Roger that, Skull One!" she replied. "You're clear to land on platform Two-Eight-Nine..." But her voice turned urgent and grave. "Negative! Skull One, we have hostiles! They've slipped through radar! Move to assist immediately!"

Rick grinned and unlocked his missile safety. "Copy, SDF-1! I'm on my way!"

* * *

Minmei felt a rush of excitement well inside her. From behind one of the airplane hangars, a pair of old Zentraedi Battle Pods stepped onto the open airway. They didn't look like the Pods she remembered. They were painted with brighter blues, and their movements were jerky and slow. She figured they were being remote-controlled from somewhere. But even so, the sight of a Battle Pod was enough to give her a chill.

The audience gasped with anticipation. The Pods stepped back to a safe distance, stopped, and looked menacingly down. They were devoid of guns or missile racks, and none of the people seemed threatened. Even the young children were unafraid. They ran up to the fence and shouted insults at the Zentraedi war machines.

Minmei frowned. _I...I can't believe this! Have they...forgotten already?_

The Skull One dropped from the sky behind the Pods. It flew dangerously close to the asphalt airstrip, closing the distance to its targets by the instant. The audience stared with baited breath.

Rick Hunter's voice called over the loudspeakers. "This is Skull One...switching to Guardian mode!"

The Skull's twin engines swung downward and formed into strong, inverted legs. A pair of arms and hands extended from the fuselage, one of them gripping the Valkyrie's gunpod weapon. The thrusters on the Skull's legs fired hard, and the Guardian rose into the air.

Under its wings, two ballistic racks delivered a swirling payload of cluster rockets. The warheads were dummies, nothing more than fireworks. They swirled through the air and left smoke trails behind them, until the empty cases fell against the pavement.

But the Zentraedi machines exploded just the same. They burst into roaring flames that leapt high into the air. Pyrotechnics detonated on the ground and fed the blaze, until the Battle Pods were engulfed in fire.

From the center of the smoke and heat, the Skull One Guardian's mighty legs stomped forth. Its legs pounded the ground and smashed the rubble of the enemy craft. The Skull moved slowly toward the fence, lowered its guns, and unlocked its canopy.

Rick Hunter stood from his cockpit. His face was composed and confident, hiding behind tufts of brown hair. His uniform was black and white, with the skull and crossbones on his shoulders, chest, and helmet. He smiled at the control tower as he stood, and gave it a perfect salute.

Over the roaring crowd, the faltering voice Commander Hayes called forth.

"Skull One...welcome back. It's...good to see you again."

* * *

Night was quickly falling on the airport. The people had long disappeared from the grandstands and fought the traffic back to their homes. Ground crews were cleaning up the messes and tearing down the vendors' stands. Giant floodlights on the tops of the hangars were slowly warming up, and casting ominous shadows behind the motionless Destroids and Guardians on the walkways.

Rick labored with the Skull One's maintenance team. He helped lower the ballistics racks off of the Skull's wings and onto transport carts. He made sure the refueling team didn't scratch the paint on the fuselage. And all the while, he spoke to Lisa through his helmet's radio.

"Are you going to be much longer?" she asked, as the fueling team gave Rick a thumbs-up and disconnected the pump. "I was hoping we could do a little celebrating tonight."

Rick looked up at the tower. He couldn't see Lisa through the windows, but he knew she was watching. "That sounds great," he smiled. "I'm just finishing up. Do you mind if I pull her in for the night?"

"Of course not! But...if you don't I see it again...in person?"

He patted the Skull's nose. "Sure! I'll wait for you. Wait 'til you see what's taped to the glass!"

She giggled. "See now, you owe that little robot! He gave you the finishing touch!"

"Yeah, he sure did."

Lisa stepped up to the glass, and waved down with a smile. "I'm proud of you, Rick."

* * *

"Thanks, Lisa. I'm proud of you too."

Lisa looked down at the pilot with tear-filled eyes. She gave him one last wave, and pulled off her headset. A sigh escaped her lips as she switched off the surveillance screens that were focused on the bleachers.

Joons stepped up, with a long cable wrapped around his arm. "All right, I got that last camera taken down," he said. "Anything else I can help you with?"

Lisa turned around, but she had forgotten to dry her eyes. She quickly dabbed at the tears running down her cheeks. "Uh...no, I don't..."

Joons was taken aback. "Oh! Umm, you know what? I missed a camera. Be back in a minute."

He went for the door, but Lisa laughed and called out to him. "Hang on, Lieutenant," she sighed, rubbing her face. "You don't have to leave every time I tear up...I've been doing it a lot these days."

He nodded and put the cables in a supply closet nearby. "It's been a rough go lately. I think we've all been through a lot."

"You can say that again," she breathed. The thought of it made her exhausted.

"But you know, I can tell you this much...I'm glad you and Commander Hunter are my superiors. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Lisa studied the young pilot. She could still barely believe he was flying with the RDF. He was too short, too young. A few years ago, they never would have let him take a Veritech into the sky. But the times were ever changing, and nowadays, all you needed were a sharp eye and a strong determination. And by the hard-set look of Joons' dark face, he seemed more than willing to lay himself on the line.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," she replied. "And I can tell _you _something. You're one of the best pilots we have out there."

He looked up and blushed deeply. "I...respect your judgment, ma'am. Thank you."

"I mean it, Michael. I wouldn't trust Commander Hunter to anyone else."

His face seemed to lose some of its redness. "I'll take good care of him, ma'am."

* * *

Rick tapped his helmet. "Lisa, are you there? I'm all set down here. Want to have a look before she goes back in the hangar? Lisa, can you read me?"

He shrugged to himself. _She must've taken off her headset. Oh well, I'll wait a few minutes. She knows where I'm at._

Pulling himself onto the Skull One's wing, he sat on the edge and let his legs dangle. The sun had left the sky, and thousands of distant stars were beginning to take its place. One star shone brighter than others, and it flashed and twinkled, and even seemed to move through the sky. Its glow was faintly blue.

_I don't believe it! _Thought Rick. _That's the _Ultimatum!_ I wish Lisa were here...she has to see this!_

He heard his name being called. It was distant, but Rick was almost sure it wasn't Lisa's voice.

He looked down to see Lynn Minmei running toward the Skull. She was just as he remembered her from years ago. With the same tight dress, the same raven hair, and the same beautiful face. He took a single look at her and was flooded with emotions, all of them negative.

_Oh...not now. Any time but now._

Minmei stopped right below him, nearly tumbling over herself with excitement. "Rick!" she cried. "Oh, Rick! I can't believe it's you!"

Rick tried to look happy. "Oh, hi there Minmei!" he waved, a bit wearily.

"Well, don't just sit up there! Come on down!"

She grabbed him by the boot and pulled him off the Skull's wing. But she tugged a little too hard. Rick came crashing down on top of her, and they both hit the pavement hard.

"Augh! Whoa! What was that for?" Rick stumbled up. At first he backed away, but Minmei was covered in grease and dirt from the runway. He sighed and offered her a hand.

"Thank you!" she smiled, and quickly pulled herself up. "I'm sorry...I'm just so glad to see you!"

Minmei leapt at Rick with her arms open, almost knocking them both over again. But he quickly caught her in his arms and tried to steady himself. Minmei squeezed his waist tightly, and pressed her head against his chest.

"Minmei..." Rick stuttered. But he had no idea what to say.

"I...I thought I might never see you again," she whispered.

"Yeah," said Rick, with a roll of his eyes. "Yeah, me either."

He heard a loud _thump _from the control tower above, and looked up. Lisa was staring weakly down, holding herself up with her hand on the window. Her eyes were void of expression, and her mouth had fallen open in shock.

He felt his heart sink to his feet.

* * *

Lisa's palm streaked down the control tower's glass. She shook inside as she watched. Her worst fear, the one that had been nagging in her mind all day, had come to pass. They had found each other again.

Joons stepped beside her. "Thought I heard something over here," he said. "What happened?"

He looked down to the runway, and saw Lynn Minmei in Rick's arms.

"Ah. So...they know each other, then?" he asked.

Lisa slowly turned to face Joons. Her eyes were hollow and welling with tears.

Joons sighed. "I'll go get that camera now."

She waited until the blast door had closed behind him, and she let her tears fall.

* * *

"Rick...you don't seem...happy to see me."

He looked down at the girl in his arms. He smiled, genuinely, set her back on her feet, and stepped away.

"I am, Minmei. I'm very happy to see you. You just...surprised me, that's all. I'm sorry, I haven't really been myself lately."

"Oh..." she moved a little closer. "Would...you like to talk about it? We could get some coffee...I know a place that's still open..."

He shook his head politely. "I'm sorry, Minmei, I just can't. Not tonight. But I would like to talk to you! Here, I'll give you the number to my apartment phone. Is that all right?"

Rick raised his eyes quickly to the control tower to see if Lisa was still there. But Minmei noticed, and turned around. She caught a glimpse of Lisa and gasped.

"I...I'm sorry, Rick! I'm sorry!" she whispered, and ran off toward the dark hangars.

Rick scrambled up into the Skull's cockpit. He threw his helmet on, and pressed the "hail" button for the control tower. His eyes were locked on Lisa's hollow stare. She looked back down, and did not receive the hail.

He pressed it again, but she still remained where she was. He held the button down. But still she looked back with tear-filled eyes.

Rick reached down at his instrument panel. Taped next to his altimeter was a photograph of him sitting in the park with Lisa. He pulled the picture off, stood up in the cockpit, and held it at her. He kicked the "hail" button once more.

Without looking away, Lisa put on a headset. The hail was received. Rick heard her quiet breath on the other end of the line.

He calmed his nerves. "Lisa...I love you. Nothing can change that. Nothing can get in the way."

As the tears ran down Lisa's cheeks, she smiled. But her smile was short-lived.

* * *

The sky flashed to brilliant life as missiles cut through the clouds. They fell on radar towers, ripping them to shreds in clouds of fire and smoke. The dormant Guardians and Destroids were decimated. The airstrip was littered with craters and flaming supply trucks.

Sirens came alive everywhere, but not a single mecha moved to fire back.

Lisa was the only one still in the control tower, which had survived the barrage of missiles. She ran from screen to screen, switching everything off of standby and shouting commands into her headset. "All units remain where you are!" she cried. "Repeat, all units _remain where you are! _Any outside ground crews are to find shelter immediately! Destroid and Veritech divisions, signal by computer when your units have been armed! Light Arms divisions, signal by encrypted radio!"

Her heart froze, and she looked down at the airstrip. The Skull One was missing.

"Oh my god! Rick!"

* * *

Michael Joons threw aside a chunk of sheet metal, and climbed out from behind an overturned tanker truck. The airport was silent, except for the encompassing sound of a crackling fire.

His com-link went off and he quickly answered it. Rick Hunter was on the line.

"Mike, are you all right?" he called.

"Yes sir," whispered Joons. "I made it to shelter. Where's the Skull?"

"I'm hiding behind a hangar, two hundred yards from your position. I'm without a gunpod! I need to rendezvous with the Osprey and load up!"

"Roger that sir, good luck."

"No, wait!" said Rick. "Listen Mike, there's something you need to do. This is _extremely important, _do you understand?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Good. Now listen closely. Lynn Minmei is _still here. _She's somewhere in the airport, probably near Hangar Eight. I need you to find her and get her out of here! When you reach her, take her to Hangar Eleven. There's a VF-1D waiting there for you."

"What's going on, sir? Where do I take her?"

"I...don't know yet. Just get her far away. We'll contact you as soon as this blows over."

"Good luck sir!"

"You too, Mike. Take good care of her."

Michael Joons' eyes thinned tight. "Sir yes sir."

* * *

Lisa poured over the monitors, shouting commands madly, but the airport below her was still a deathly calm. Officers began pouring in and occupying the various stations behind her; they were faces she did not recognize. But they instantly took her orders and eased some of her building stress.

_God, Rick...where are you?_

The main monitor flashed with an incoming hail. She instantly took it, but the face was not Rick's. It was a garbled digital feed of a man's face, adorned with a Zentraedi Battle Pod helmet.

She stared at the fading image, and the Zentraedi stared coldly back, until it spoke.

"What is your name, Micronian?"

Lisa mustered all the courage she had, and pushed her thoughts of Rick as far away as she could. "I am Commander Lisa Hayes of the Robotech Defense Force! You have assaulted a designated RDF facility! Stand down immediately or be met with immediate force!"

The Zentraedi ignored her speech. "Commander Lisa Hayes," he said. "Today you _die_ at your bridge."

A chill ran up her spine and sent a cold numbness through her body.

* * *

Rick's Guardian pounded over bent metal and dancing flames. His mind replayed the audio messages he had just received.

_Skull One, remain at your post! Our Veritechs have been engaged at the Lookout Zone! The Osprey is down, repeat, the Osprey is down!_

The Guardian's hand reached into the flattened wreckage of an aircraft hangar, and pulled back a portion of the steel. A destroyed VF-1 lay beneath. Its wings and tailfins were smashed apart under the weight of the complex.

With both hands, the Skull One rolled the craft upside down. Its gunpod was broken apart.

* * *

Lisa refused to back down from the image before her.

"The RDF will not stand for such a barbaric attack! You'll pay dearly for this!"

The Zentraedi shook his head. "More blood will spill tonight, Commander. Your little outpost is hopelessly outnumbered. What fighters you have on the ground are without weapons. It seems your recreational display has left you completely vulnerable."

From the dark of night, scores of Zentraedi Battle Pods stomped onto the cratered airfield. They were ghostlike, mangled machines that sparked and surged from battle damage. Their numbers were staggering.

Between the long rows of mecha, military trucks were dispensing waves of foot soldiers armed with assault rifles. The soldiers ran to the battlefront, and stood with their weapons trained directly on Lisa's window.

"We will decimate this airport," said the Zentraedi commander. "And then we will storm Macross City. We will pile the bodies of dead Micronians in the streets. And your body, Commander Lisa Hayes, will be at the bottom of that pile."

Lisa's hands clenched tightly. She heard the shells loading in the Battle Pods beneath her.

"Unless," the image seemed to smile. "You decide to be the wise agent of human preservation that you are. Tell us where the _matrix _is being stored. We will leave this place immediately, and the city will be saved."

Lisa choked. "The...the _matrix?"_

"The _protoculture matrix, _Commander! Give me its location immediately, or Macross is ours!"

"But I...I have no idea what you're talking about! There hasn't been a matrix on the planet for _years!"_

"Very well!" said the Zentraedi. "I am in the mood to _kill _something anyhow."

The soldiers cocked their rifles, and the Battle Pods trained their cannons. But Lisa's view was hidden away, as a blur of robotic steel moved in front of the glass. A pair of folded wings stopped in front of her, and their insignia told her that it was the Skull One.

Rick switched his head-lasers to burst mode. The Skull One was in Battloid mode, standing full height with its back against the control tower's glass. Its hands were empty of a weapon.

"Lisa!" Rick shouted. "Get the crew out now!"

Lisa's voice was solemn, but shaking. "Rick...go...please go."

"Lisa, listen to me! _Abandon your post! _There's an escort waiting outside!"

"I...can't leave, Rick."

He looked down at the rows of ghostly, sparking Battle Pods. The foot soldiers below were laughing. One of them picked up a rock and threw it at the Skull's foot.

"Then neither can I," Rick sighed.

His radar sensed movement directly on top of him. He panicked and swung the Skull's head back and forth, but saw nothing.

Lisa's voice was still coming to him through the radio. He listened as she breathed hard, swallowed a dry mouth, and whispered, "I love you, Rick."

"I love you too, Lisa."

* * *

"Lynn Minmei! Are you here! I'm looking for someone named Lynn Minmei!"

Joons opened the rear entrance to an airplane hangar. The sight took his breath away. Under the flash of red sirens, three Tomahawk Destroids were waiting to burst forth into action. Their torsos were slowly moving to and fro, as the pilots waited for the order to strike. And below the mighty mecha's legs were five armored transports, each packed with soldiers that carried assault rifles and rocket launchers. No one said a word. Only the humming of engines, the heavy smell of exhaust, and the flashing of a Red Alert. The tension was unbearable.

A commanding officer met Joons at the door. "Where you supposed to be, soldier!" he whispered.

He took a breath, and whispered back. "I'm looking for a girl. A little shorter than I am, with dark hair and a yellow dress. Have you seen her?"

"Boy, are you insane? You can't go looking for a girl now!" He stopped, and pondered for a moment. "My _God, _you mean _Minmei's still here?!"_

"Yes! I don't have much time...but I've been ordered to find her! I need to take her to Hangar Eleven for evac!"

The officer was panicked. "Okay! All right, I'll get a squad together and we'll find her! All we've got to do is..."

He was interrupted by the a booming voice over the loudspeakers. It was Commander Hayes. She shouted a battle cry that roused every soul in the hangar to attention.

"All Destroid units! All Veritech units! All Small Arms and Ground to Air units! Move out and follow instructed mission parameters! The base is under attack! Repeat, the base is under attack by Zentraedi forces! Protect this installation at all costs!"

The leading Destroid's speaker crackled to life. "Fourth Reaver Team, follow my lead and fire at will! Fire at will! Fire at will!"

The Destroid fired a blast from its chest cannons and ripped apart the hangar's doors.

* * *

The silence was broken by the movement of an RDF army. The hangars exploded with emerging mecha, armored trucks and soldiers. Hails of bullets and artillery blasts flew across the airfield and into the Zentraedi armada. Their attacks were as calculated as chess moves. Destroids lay down suppressing fire as Veritech Guardians rose into the sky, dropping rockets on the scattered rows of Zentraedi Pods. Battloids marched across the field with guns blazing. Armored trucks pooled together and formed outposts, where rifles and rocket launchers fired into the crowd of enemy foot soldiers.

Rick stood firmly before the tower and fired with his head-mounted lasers. Zentraedi mecha approached and took the blasts full-on. The lasers cut and sliced at their bodies, but did little to slow them down.

The empty space to Rick's left began to shift and warp. A shining black Battloid appeared beside him, firing a gunpod in both hands. It stepped in front of Rick and tore at the Zentraedi forces, spitting giant shell casings from its weapons. The ghostly mecha fell in a heap of flames.

Rick recognized the large, folded tail fins behind the Battloid's head. It was Eo Prime's VF-1X.

The Battloid handed one of its gunpods to Rick. It silently saluted and moved behind Rick.

"Eo...is that you?" Rick called.

The Battloid's head nodded.

"Yes!" he cried with relief, and a tight-clenched fist. "Eo, stick with me! We can't let this tower fall!"

The VF-1X knelt beside the tower and fired into the next advancing row of Zentraedi mecha.

Rick squeezed the trigger and the Skull One fired its new gunpod. The weapon kicked back with tremendous force and it belched rounds at twice the speed. Rick had never felt a Veritech's gun deliver such a punch. And when his fire blasted a hole through _two _approaching Battle Pods, he was struck with awe.

* * *

The control crew was a nerve-wracked mess. The officers were too young to know their positions; just boys and girls on the night shift. Some of them were crying. When a ballistic shell exploded near the glass, they all screamed.

Lisa had forwarded all of their data to her own monitors. She controlled the entire battlefield. Her eyes carefully watched the advancing groups on both sides. A split-second could mean life or death for an entire division of soldiers.

A Defender Destroid by Hangar Nine took a missile hit. Its arm caught fire and exploded. The soldiers below it scattered from the heat and shrapnel.

"Viper Squadron!" called Lisa. "Cover Defender at Hangar Nine!"

A trio of Valkyrie Battloids fired on the attacking Zentraedi Pods. They bounded across the field to reach the damaged mecha. _Roger that Control! Defender is with us from now on! Small Arms are relocating to nearby Phalanx!_

A Tomahawk Destroid took damage. It exploded at the chest and sent its giant arm-cannon spinning through the air. The gun smashed into a running Valkyrie and snapped off its leg, sending the Valk crashing on its side into an armored missile truck. The soldiers worked quickly to free the pilot from the wrecked mecha.

"South-east missile post needs cover!" cried Lisa.

_This is Defender 0079 on the West Hill! Everyone watch your heads!"_

A Defender Destroid with long-range cannons raised the barrels and fired from across the battlefield. The shells blew apart a group of Battle Pods and rocked the ground where troops were advancing.

_Commander Hayes! This is Skull One!_

Lisa ran to the front window and looked down. Rick's Skull was joined by the VF-1X prototype. They were knelt at the base of the tower, fending back mobs of skeletal Zentraedi Pods.

"Acknowledged!" she cried.

_Commander, we have the high ground! Enemy Small Arms are retreating and the Pods aren't standing up! We have you covered!_

The bridge crew shouted in excitement.

"Roger, Skull One!" said Lisa. "I'm sending you a Phalanx for good measure!"

_Much obliged, Control. Stay low and watch the artillery fire!_

Lisa turned to the young recruits. "Don't make me win this battle without you! How about a little support?"

* * *

Joons roared between the hangars at the wheel of an armored RDF humvee. The gun turret in the back spun loosely in circles as he dodged the craters in the ground. He maneuvered around the moving legs of Destroids and Veritechs. Shards of metal beat against his vehicle's side as Battle Pods exploded.

Nearly hidden in shadow, a flash of bright yellow caught his eye.

He rounded a corner and parked the truck between two hangars. Laying against the ribbed sheet metal was the girl he was looking for. She was covered in dirt and scratches and hiding her face on the ground. Her legs were buried in a pile of rubble.

Joons swung open the door and leapt out. "Lynn Minmei!" he screamed. "Lynn Minmei, can you hear me!"

She raised her head and cried out to him, but the noise of battle drowned out her voice. He charged toward her, waving his arms and calling for her to get up.

A Zentraedi foot soldier rounded the rear corner of the hangar. He nocked his rifle's stock against his shoulder.

Joons skidded to a halt. There was no cover to dive for. He saw the flash, felt three punches to his chest, and fell against the ground.

Lynn Minmei cried and screamed as the Zentraedi cocked his gun. The rocks and metal scraped against her legs. She squirmed and struggled but could not tug herself free. She shut her eyes and cowered away.

A dull and gut-wrenching _crunch _bounced off the wall beside her. The bullets never came. And the Zentraedi lay in the dirt with a combat knife in his helmet.

"Lynn Minmei!"

She looked to the humvee. Joons was leaning tiredly against the open driver's door. His blue flight suit was cut open with three bullet holes, but he was not bleeding. An open knife sheath was flapping at his side.

"Come on!" he cried. "Come on, we're going home!"

Minmei screamed in pain and pulled herself out of the slag. She limped quickly to his cries of encouragement. Her legs and feet were cut and bleeding. Tears ran down her worried face.

She collapsed into his arms, but reeled back and screamed at his wounds.

He smiled gently at her and strained his voice over the explosions. "I'm okay! I'm bulletproof, see? I'm just fine! Now let me take you home!"

He quickly scooped her up and set her in the passenger's seat of the truck. Slamming his door shut, he spun the humvee around and headed back onto the battlefield.

A Phalanx Destroid turned its torso as Joons passed by. It fired a missile blast into a Battle Pod between the hangars. The mangled machine collapsed and roared on fire in the path of the humvee. Minmei screamed and leaned back. Joons swerved hard; his tires clipped over the Pod's lasers, but he regained control.

"Stay down!" he told her firmly. She huddled down into the seat below the windows.

He found the hangar marked with a bright white "11." It was still intact and unharmed. Joons leapt out of the truck and ran for the main doors' controls, but bullet holes covered the control panels and most of the doors themselves.

He climbed onto the back of the humvee and swung the gun turret around. The barrel blazed as he decimated the control panel with fire, then sent a few shots at the locks. He climbed over the roof and back into the driver's seat.

The humvee's tires screeched hard, and the vehicle smashed through the hangar doors. Joons slammed on the brakes and almost hit the nose of an orange VF-1D Valkyrie fighter.

* * *

Minmei leaned against the Valk fighter's gunpod and tried to catch her breath. Joons carefully wrapped strips of gauze around her feet. They quickly turned dark with blood stains, and her legs were bleeding just as badly. Minmei tried her best to hold back her cries.

"You'll be all right," he smiled. "It hurts, but it's not bad."

She bit her lip. "Mmhhh....it's not?"

"No ma'am. Nothing to be scared of. Just be brave." He tied off the gauze at Minmei's knees. "Just don't walk, all right? I'll carry you."

"Mmh-kay..."

He unzipped a pocket on his flight suit and pulled out a small box. Inside were some emergency bandages and a few green pills. "Want to take one of these?" he asked. "It helps with the pain."

"Nn-no..." she shook her head, and pointed at his chest. "Mm-maybe you should take one."

Joons pounded his chest vigorously. "Hey! I'm bulletproof, remember? Don't you worry about me! Now sit tight and I'll get us ready to fly."

He quickly sprinted off to the far corner of the hangar, where a locker contained a helmet and extra flight suit. Joons leaned against the wall and groaned in tired pain. _Almost done, _he thought. _Almost done!_

Grabbing up the gear, he started back to the Valk. _Oh...wait a minute, my suit!_ He stopped and knelt to the ground. Pulling a roll of tape from his suit pocket, he quickly patched up the holes. _That should keep me airtight..._

When he ducked back under the Valk's fuselage, he found Minmei looking wearily out the open hangar doors. Her eyes were damp with painful tears. They were hollow and glassy, a look of silent, passive terror.

He sat next to her and blocked her view. "I'll help you put these on," he said, "and we'll take off. We'll leave this all behind."

Minmei seemed to be looking right through him. "I can't," she whispered. "I can't leave it behind."

* * *

Lisa stepped onto the battlefield for the first time. The airport was decimated. Blood and burning wreckage were all that was left. But the devastation was nearly all Zentraedi. There had been only nine confirmed fatalities on the RDF side. The attackers were completely routed.

The mysterious commander was right in his threat. The human army was outnumbered two-to-one. But thanks to a few snap decisions and the element of surprise, only ten percent of the Battle Pods even attacked. The rest of them retreated into the night, and Lisa was in no position to make chase.

The Destroids were posted around the airport's perimeter, keeping watch. The fire control mecha, which had miraculously survived, were busy stomping through the ruins and keeping the blazes from spreading. Emergency crews were treating the wounded, Zentraedi and human alike.

Two Battloid visors shone through the night. The Skull One and the VF-1X appeared from the darkness. They were marked with bullet holes and covered with dust. A hundred RDF foot soldiers followed behind them.

The mighty Battloids raised their gunpods, and the soldiers of the RDF cheered their victory. Lisa thought of innocent, oblivious Macross, and she raised her hands with them.

A brilliant flash of light filled the sky. The mighty space carrier, _Global State Ship Ultimatum_, space-folded into orbit high above their position. Soon it would send down a full support team, but there was no need. The battle was over and won. Even so, the _Ultimatum's _presence brought a familiar calm to Lisa.

As she watched the sky, a Valkyrie fighter rose from Hangar Eleven and raced into the night sky.

* * *

_a/n:_

_This is the final chapter for "On Wings of Steel!" I'd like to thank everybody who read the story, especially those who sent their comments to me in reviews. They helped me immensely. I couldn't have gotten to Chapter 20 without you._

_At the time of this writing, I've already started the OWOS sequel, "Robotech: The Ghost Eagles." It continues the story of Rick, Joons and Eo Prime, as they implement brand new Robotechnology to search for the Protoculture matrix. It also hopes to focus more deeply on Rick's relationship with Lisa. As always, I'll be open to your comments and criticism as I continue the story of the Malcontent Uprising._

_Thank you again,_

_Indie_


End file.
